Oils For Wellness

Do Essential Oils Contain Hormones?

2011-10-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

Regarding hormones, oils do not contain any hormones manufactured or needed by human bodies, but the molecules of essential oils can act like hormones in that they can occupy hormonal receptor sites and, thus, trigger beneficial hormonal actions in support of our endocrine system. Also, as in the case of proteins, enzymes, and vitamins, essential oils can stimulate and support our bodies in producing the actual hormones we need. Since hormones are small molecules that can come through the distillation process, it is possible that essential oils do contain traces of plant hormones which can be beneficial to our well being.

Since the presence of hormones in essential oils would only be in very tiny amounts, not detected by a chemical analysis from a laboratory, the "hormonal" properties of oils would be more in the way of support and enhancement of our endocrine systems, assisting in the manufacture and balance of the hormones our body naturally makes. So there you have it. ~David Stuart, Ph.D

NOTE: For additional information on how essential oils work see "The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple," by David Stewart, available at www.RaindropTraining.com or subscribe to the FREE Oils For Wellness newsletter.

OilTalk Tip of the Week: Healing Burns

2011-06-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

"My daughter was using a gas grill and when she discovered it had gone out, she bent down to re-light it. A huge fire ball shot out right in her face. Her entire face was burned and she was in a lot of pain. We spritzed Young Living Essential Oils Lavaderm (a aloe/lavender spray) every few minutes for the first few hours--then hourly during the night and the next few days. When the Lavaderm was gone, we continued with Lavender oil because now we were able to touch her face without much pain. She never got a single blister and has healed wonderfully."
~Anita Rueter, Rice, MN

Rawsome: A New Food Attitude

2011-05-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have had a pretty healthy diet during our 7 years of marriage, but this year we are aiming for a diet that is focused around 75% raw foods. Check out these seven benefits of going raw. Some friends of ours have gone mostly raw for health reasons and we are inspired to do the same. Summer is a great time to get started because of the plentiful selection of fresh local produce and the hot days ahead will make cold foods seem most appealing. I am excited to try new salad creations and learn how to make raw desserts that eliminate flour, sugar, and dairy.

May is Spring Cleaning Month

2011-05-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Get Thieves Cleaner, Thieves Spray, and Citrus Fresh FREE!
From May 1–31, when you place a single order of 175 PV or more, you’ll receive Thieves® Household Cleaner, Thieves Spray, and Citrus Fresh™ essential oil blend absolutely free!

That’s a retail value of $57.24!

We all know that spring cleaning is a great way to shake off the gloom of winter, but did you know that it also has some very real physical and psychological benefits? A thorough cleaning of dust and dirt will help you avoid sicknesses, asthma, and allergies. In addition, a deep cleaning each spring allows you to mentally clear negative energy and allow for new beginnings. With that in mind, Young Living is giving you the opportunity to get three of our best cleansing products for FREE!

Learn more about the products featured in our May promotions!

The Thieves® Advantage
A Natural and Effective Cleansing Alternative

This month’s expert speakers: LISTEN HERE
Connie McDanel, Young Living Crown Diamond
Robert Fuller, PhD of Environmental Science
Katherine Fuller, Masters of Science in Ecology

Thieves Household Cleaner: While bacteria and mold can be dangerous, some industrial cleaners pose an even larger threat to your health. Thieves Household Cleaner is a non-toxic, biodegradable, all-purpose concentrate that uses therapeutic-grade essential oils as emulsifiers and germ killers.

Thieves Spray: This convenient, pocket-sized spray is ideal for use on all surfaces in your home to protect from dust, mold, and other undesirable microorganisms. It’s also perfect for use on the go to sanitize public surfaces.

Citrus Fresh: When diffused, this proprietary essential oil blend both purifies the air and adds a clean, fresh scent. The combination of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, mandarin, and spearmint will energize your spirit and welcome feelings of spring and new possibilities.

OFFER DETAILS:
•Offer valid 12 midnight MDT May 1, 2011, to 11:59 p.m. MDT May 31, 2011.
•Limit one free 14.4-fl.oz. bottle of Thieves Household Cleaner, one free 1-fl.oz. bottle of Thieves Spray, one free 15-ml bottle of Citrus Fresh essential oil blend per order.
•Offer valid on orders of 175 PV or more. Limit of five qualifying orders per month.
•PV minimum must be reached in a single order. Partial orders placed throughout the qualifying month cannot be combined in order to receive the promotional product(s).
•Offer available to Young Living Independent Distributors, preferred customers, and retail customers.
•Valid on phone, Essential Rewards, and web orders only. USE ID #329194 (Jennifer Nordin, Young Living distributor) on Youngliving.com or call 715-381-6979
•Offer does not apply to Essential Rewards point redemption orders.
•PV not earned for free product.
•Customer responsible for shipping costs associated with free product.
•Offer valid in the U.S. and all NFR markets, except where restrictions prevent promotional product(s) from entering your country. (Thieves essential oil blend will replace Thieves Household Cleaner and Thieves Spray in some areas.)

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter for more green, healthy tips for your home!

April is National Stress Awareness Month

2011-04-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

April is National Stress Awareness Month, and research has linked chronic stress with life-threatening illnesses such as heart attacks, stroke, depression, and chronic pain. For many of us, stress and the anxiety it causes are an unavoidable part of our daily lives. A low level of stress is indeed often necessary to motivate us, but it is important to keep its impact within a level you can tolerate. If allowed to dominate, stress can cause intense anxiety and a general deterioration in health. It can also increase the risk of more serious ailments developing, such as stomach ulcers. Inhaling certain aromas help to reduce stress by promoting relaxation.

Not all scents are created equal however. Synthetic fragrances found in most commercial perfumes, body care, and candles are petroleum based and can cause allergic reactions, one of which is irritability, headaches, and brain fog. Pure, natural plant oils such as Young Living Essential Oils contain carefully preserved therapeutic molecules without any fillers, pesticide residues, or synthetic ingredients.

Lavender is universally most well known for its relaxing properties. For relief from sudden stress, sprinkle 4 drops of Lavender on a tissue and inhale deeply. Other single oils that soothe stress are Roman Chamomile, Sandalwood, Idaho Balsam Fir, Clary Sage, Cedarwood, and Geranium. Any of these oils are wonderful in a cold air ultrasonic diffuser, which is the best method for dispersing a microfine mist into the air.A few drops may be added to a bath with sea salts and baking soda or in a little jojoba oil for a shoulder massage. An excellent remedy for stress is to simply ask someone who cares for you to hold you close!

My favorite blended oils are Young Living's Tranquil and Stress Away which are packaged in no fuss, easy to use, and portable roll on applicators. These are a must have for on-the-go stress relief! Valor and Peace and Calming blends are very popular choices among my massage clients.

To learn more about therapeutic essential oils, subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter . To order pure aromatherapy products call Jennifer at 715-381-6979 or use my ID #329194 on YoungLiving.com. Ask me about private consultations, spa/wellness parties, and workshops at your home, office, or event!

TGIF: My Happy Place

2011-04-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Week

2011-04-06T15:50:00.001-07:00

"Great opportunities to help others seldom come,

but small ones surround us daily."

~Sally Koch

Welcome Ultimate Blog Party Hoppers!

2011-04-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Yikes! So much partying to do, so little time! If you clicked on over from 5 Minutes For Mom, then you know about my FABULOUS FIVE giveaways. If you haven't checked out the 5MFM prize page, better get on over there and check it out. But I have one more giveaway for just ONE special winner..... Young Living Essential Oils LavaDerm Cooling Mist! The must-have lavender/aloe solution for the kiddos boo boos and over exposure as we head into days of fun in the sun.

First entries must:

Follow Oils For Wellness

AND

Like the Oils For Wellness Facebook Page

Additional entries:

Tweet this post URL

Blog about Oils For Wellness

Leave a comment here for each entry with links to be eligible.

This giveaway ends April 30th, 2011.

World Autism Awareness Day

2011-04-02T08:35:00.001-07:00

As a wellness educator, I believe that promoting "awareness" about a disorder or disease is not enough to make an impact in the healing process. First, belief that healing is actually possible (vs managing symptoms) is the first hurdle. Second, investigation of contributing factors that may indicate the origin of the disorder and disease is key. Then, the faith to take the road less traveled on the quest for restoration of health. Little mainstream research money is spent on drug free methods of healing. So, as we think about autism "awareness", let's dig a little deeper to avoid it becoming a meaningless cultural buzzword that makes society feel better about how little we may really embrace our personal health care responsibilities. Here are some previous Oils For Wellness posts about following the natural path in addressing autism. Be well, Jen

A Holistic Approach To Autism

Aromatherapy For Autism and ADD/ADHD

If My Child Had Autism.....

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about how therapeutic essential oils can transform health!

Quote of the Week

2011-03-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

"Fear is not the opposite of faith. It is the absence of faith. In 2 Timothy 1:7 we read, 'For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.' ” ~Dr. David Stuart, PhD

TGIF: Bee Relaxed

2011-03-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Green Dishwashing

2011-03-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

“I never use dish detergent in my dishwasher. I simply add white vinegar and about a capful of Thieves® Household Cleaner. It saves a lot of money by not using a dishwasher detergent and gets the dishes quite clean and germ free.”

Veronica Frierdich

The Joy Of Spring

2011-03-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Sometime after toasting the New Year, you find your self restlessly anticipating warmer weather. You're wishing, hoping, praying for spring to come--and you're not alone.

A time of renewal and rebirth, many of us look forward to spring as a time of new beginnings. Spring is the time to open your windows, breathe the fresh air, plant a garden, and enjoy budding flowers. It is a time to set aside any weary winter emotions and experience joy.

Spring is a great time to rid yourself of any negative feelings that can hinder you from progressing. To combat disparaging emotions, Young Living developed Joy essential oil blend, which is uplifting to all the senses.

JOY IN A BOTTLE

In addition to bergamot, lemon, palmarosa, rosewood, and Roman chamomile, Young Living's proprietary Joy essential oil blend contains a springtime bouquet of ylang ylang, rose, geranium, and the absolute or essence of jasmine. Each oil in this blend is specifically chosen to offer you a potent and effective aromatherapy experience. Learn more about Joy's remarkable flowers and learn what they can do for you!

Ylang Ylang is a small flower of the cananga tree that is native to the Philippines and Indonesia.

The name ylang ylang is Tagalog for "flower of flowers", and its oil is believed to normalize oil production in the skin, and is also considered and aphrodisiac.

Rose has long been valued for its intoxicating floral aroma. Rose oil's stimulating properties may produce a greater sense of well-being and self-confidence. Rose is also perfect for dry or aging skin.

Geranium orginated in Africa, but can be grown almost anywhere in the world. Traditionally used to support the circulatory and nervous systems, a great deal of geranium's strength lies in its ability to revitalize body tissues. It is also excellent for the skin and its aroma may help release negative memories.

Jasmine was thought of as the queen of flowers in ancient India, and its name was derived from the Persian word yasmin meaning "fragrant flower". Its warm exotic fragrance has been used throughout history for romance and attraction and it is also beneficial for the skin.

Combined with other key oils, these flower oils found in Joy create a luxuriously exotic blend with uplifting overtones and promote happy feelings to the heart. As a new season approaches and spring is in the air, use Young Living's Joy essential oil blend to enhance your springtime experience this year!

Useage Tips

Diffuse Joy to freshen a room and uplift your spirit
Sprinkle a few drops of Joy in a cup of baking soda, shake well,use for carpet powder
Wear a drop on your wrists or behind ears as perfume
Add to bathwater to promote relaxation and improve your mood
Mix 2-3 drops of Joy with water or vodka in a spray bottle as air freshener

Safety tip: Do not apply Joy to skin that will be exposed to prolonged direct sunlight or tanning booths, as the blend contains citrus oils that can create photo sensitivity.

Happy Oiling!

Jen

Subscribe to the free Oils For Wellness e-newsletter to learn more about essential oils!

Party With Oils For Wellness!

2011-03-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

Oils For Wellness is donating five prizes to 5 Minutes For Mom Ultimate Blog Party this year.

I am going to have my own giveaway going on during the party as well.

Nope, I am not going to spill the beans about what the prizes will be, you just have to wait and see!

Use Paypal To Register For Natural MEDS Workshop

2011-03-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Class Registration is $25 per person or couple.

USE "PAY NOW" BUTTON ON LEFT SIDEBAR.

REFERRAL BONUS! If you are bringing a paid guest(s) to a class, you will receive $5 off your registration fee (per guest) for your NEXT paid class. So, refer 5 paying guests, your NEXT class is FREE!

All attendees enjoy free registration for FREE Intro Classes, but please still RSVP prior to class. Email wisdom4wellness(at)aol(dot)com or call Jennifer at 715-381-6979. Walk in attendees or guests will not receive any class materials and essential oils for regular classes, but may receive intro packets for FREE Intro classes depending on availability.

What are Natural MEDS Workshops?

Jennifer Nordin, LMT,CST,CAP developed Natural MEDS to provide Mentorship-Education-Discussion-Support for those seeking natural methods for optimal health and alternatives to OTC/prescription medications, antibiotics, and chemical based household products. The amount of information about herbal and natural remedies and therapies available out there can often be overwhelming.
If you are looking for practical, bite size portions of knowledge with professional support to take the natural path in health care, then Natural MEDS is for you!

We will meet every 3rd Saturday of the month from 10am-11am at Wanken Family Chiropractic in Hudson, Wisconsin just 30 minutes east of Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota. Each month will cover a different topic including women's health, digestive cleansing, balancing emotions, fighting colds, flu, infections, stress relief, etc. Every 3 months another intro class will be offered for new individuals to join in. Like the Oils For Wellness Facebook page and comment to request a monthly invitation.

Oils For Wellness on Facebook

TGIF: Stop and Smell the Lavender

2011-03-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Week

2011-03-14T21:10:00.000-07:00

"Essential Oils are a profound addition to my practice. Simple gifts from nature with seemingly boundless healing capacities. They provide an excellent way to begin to encourage people to become involved in their own healing process."
D.J. Hinders, DC, Pueblo, Colorado

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Dental Plaque

2011-03-11T21:50:00.000-08:00

"My grown son's check ups at the dentist were not good until he started using Young Living Essential Oils Thieves toothpaste. He has reported that the heavy plaque build up that he normally had was gone. Thieves toothpaste has kept off the plaque and is improving his receding gums." ~Kate Adams, Fort Ripley, MN

Read all about the power of Young Living Essential Oils Thieves essential oil blend here!

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about the many uses for therapeutic essential oils.

The Marketing of Madness

2011-03-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

What Happened To Healing In The Church?

2011-03-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this ministry is to put God back into
healing, and healing back into the Church where it began.
We do this by working with churches who seek us out to
train and equip their members for the healing ministry.
We are not able to administer or disciple readers in
need of healing. this is for their local Church to do.

So how DO we think as a people in our culture?

Thanks to 30 minute TV sit-coms where problems always get
fixed by the end of the show, our culture is conditioned
to solving problems in 30 minutes or less. This is also
why info commercials are so popular. They solve a problem
and do it quickly. It also explains why Apps are so popular
with smart phone users. Have a need? Just download an app
for it and walla. Problem solved! I am telling you this
because the same mindset tends to follow us when dealing
with life's problems.

We want quick solutions to life's problems. We especially
want solutions without pain or suffering, or having to
change our lifestyle. This explains why so many people
fall for phony healing schemes, including many offered
by the medical industry.

People want quick fixes. Kinda like flipping on a light
switch, fast and easy, no pain. That same mindset also
follows us to Church. When it comes to spiritual healing
we want it, but we want it to be on our terms as we want
everything else in life to be.

Spiritual healing as we teach it is not miraculous as
people think of miracles. It is divine but not often
instantaneous. Just as faith must be taught
(Romans 10:17), so too must spiritual healing.

Believers must be taught to align their lives in
accordance with God's will in order for divine healing
to occur. That may sound simple enough at first. But many
believers carry around junk habits and beliefs foreign to
God's will. What's more, many Christians are not aware
these habits and beliefs are working against God and
healing.

The biblical way to teach Christians to align their
lives with God for healing is through discipleship.
Discipleship is the heart and soul of Church healing
ministries. Discipleship can determine whether an illness
is spiritual or environmental in nature. It could be
something as simple as learning the artificial sweeteners
they eat may be the real reason behind the heart attack
they suffered.

An often abused assumption is if I am a Christian, God is
suppose to heal me. And it's true. God certainly heals the
sick through the Body of Christ, His Church. But God does
not heal every Christian who asks for healing. As in all
things there is a reason why this is so. This is why
discipleship is needed. This is why your Church needs
a trained healing ministry.

It saddens me when people write to us for healing,
because we cannot disciple them. We cannot dig into
their lives to uncover whether or not there is a
spiritual reason for their malady. That is for
their local Church to do.

Now in case you are wondering why discipleship is so
important in healing the sick, it may surprise you to
learn believers oftentimes differ little from
non-believers on a number of basic Christian beliefs.

For instance:

Do you believe that Satan is a living entity? If you do
you are in a minority. Many Christians do NOT believe
Satan is a real living entity. In fact, over 50% of all
born again believers DENY the existence of Satan as
a living entity.

Do you believe if you are good enough you can EARN
a place in heaven? 45% (almost half) of all born
again believers think they can.

This information I am sharing with you comes from an
emerging trends study conducted by Princeton Religion
Research Centers. Among the beliefs of so-called born
again believers, the study discovered;

35% believe Jesus committed sins like other people.
35% do not believe Jesus was physically resurrected
from the grave.
26% read a daily Horoscope.
20% believe in reincarnation.
28% believe in ghosts.
50% watch porn videos

Now here's where I am going in all of this. Many Christians
who live by these standards think their beliefs and habits
are normal After all, it's what they believe. And this kind
of junk only scratches the surface. Some believers harbor
hatred and unforgiveness in their heart. Some carry pride
and/or think only of themselves. What's more, in many
cases they are not consciously aware of these sins in
their life. These are feelings that lie buried deep within.
The list is long and well documented. This is just some
of the junk in our lives that prevents God from healing
us. So who is to blame?

My purpose here is not to condemn or point a finger,
but you need to be questioning what your Church is
NOT teaching.

Truth is, Many so called born again believers do not
have a clue about sin, salvation and sanctification.
They may be well meaning souls, but are totally
ineffective as Christians.

The world is crumbling around us, including the Church.
Our very way of life is being threatened from many sides
in the world. While you may not have influence in the
world, you do have influence in your Church.

Let me challenge you to address your Church board,
elders or priest to get back to the basics of Christian
faith. There is a great need to preach the Word of God
even to our own.

Jim Lynn
God's Healing Word Ministry
(article from his recent newsletter-edited for length)

TGIF: Inhale and Unwind!

2011-02-25T08:24:00.000-08:00

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Bi-Polar Challenges

2011-02-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

"I have an 8 year old son who is Bi-polar. His oil of choice is Peppermint. He puts it on his temples for headaches, around his belly button for his stomach aches, and on the back of his neck to regulate his body temperature. His body overheats with his Bi-polar medicine, and this is all we can find to comfort him."

~Tammy Eirdam, Kalispell, MT

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about therapeutic essential oils!

AromaHelp Tip of the Week: Arthritis

2011-02-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

Arthritis is a term used to describe inflammation of the joints specifically; there are 2 main types.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammation of the connective tissue around joints which causes pain, swelling, and stiffness, and is often accompanied by weight loss and tiredness. It seems to affect women more than men and, unlike osteo-arthritis, usually attacks pairs of joints. In severe cases, the joints can become crippled and deformed.

Osteo-arthritis is a progressive wearing away of cartilage which results in severe pain and reduced mobility. The connective tissue thickens and fluid may fill the joint, causing swelling.

Aromatherapy can help to relax muscles and relieve pain, but it cannot renew worn cartilage nor can it always help to relieve pain in the bone. A change in diet plus adding whole food nutritional supplements to reduce inflammation can support and nourish the body on a cellular level.

One of the most effective natural supplements for reducing the pain associated with arthritis is MSM which is an exceptionally bioavailable source of sulfur that restores flexibility to cell membranes and slows the breakdown of cartilage. Young Living Essential Oils Sulfurzyme capsules combine the power of MSM with the nutrients of the Ningxia wolfberry to enhance proper assimilation and metabolism of sulfur.

Below are just a few essential oils useful for arthritic conditions:

German and Roman Chamomile,Wintergreen

for inflammation.

Juniper, Eucalyptus, Cypress, Lemon, Rosemary, Helichrysum

are useful for swelling.

Black Pepper, Marjoram, Ginger, Nutmeg

are warming, help relax muscles, relieve mild pain.

Peppermint has been studied for its ability to kill pain by blocking substance P and calcium channels. *

*Gobel et al., "Effect of peppermint and eucalyptus oil preparations on neurophysiological and experimental algesimeteric headache parameters."Cephalalgia. 1994 Jun;14(3):228-34;discussion 182

Bath: Warm soaking baths can help to relax muscles and relieve pain. Sprinkle 2 drops each of Lavender, Rosemary, and 3 drops of Eucalyptus with several drops of carrier oil and/or a cup of sea or epsom salts in the water. If pain is severe, add a further 2 drops of Roman Chamomile.

Massage: Blend 5 drops each of Juniper, Eucalyptus, Roman Chamomile, and Lavender in 2 oz carrier oil or unscented lotion and apply a generous amount regularly to affected areas.

Caution: Apply only gentle pressure and avoid massage of painful or inflamed joints.

Be Well,

Jennifer

Aromatherapy Benefits Cancer Patients

2011-01-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

Aromatherapy works because of the effect of molecules of odor on the limbic system. The limbic system is like the emotional hub of the brain. “Aromatic oils may exert antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects,” as well as emotional effects.

For those who struggle with chronic illnesses, like mesothelioma and other cancers, essential oils and aromatherapy may provide twofold relief.

Physical:
Mesothelioma is a rare but dangerous cancer. With a very low survival rate, mesothelioma patients tend to become easily depressed and can suffer from side effects of treatment. As is true for most cancer patients, mesothelioma treatment can be painful and ongoing, including traditional methods like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Aromatherapy works as complementary treatment and can remove stress, improve sleeping habits, reduce pain and lower blood pressure. This may help all cancer patients push past the damaging physical effects of traditional treatments.

Emotional:
As an alternative treatment, aromatherapy can help to reduce the stress and depression that many cancer patients endure. Even those with terminal cancer can find relief through the affects of the essential oils on the limbic system. With new clam and the ability to rest, patients have seen overall improvement in their quality of life.

In a Nut Shell:
According to a study on aromatherapy as “A Supportive Care Agent in Cancer,” Chamomile, Lavender, and other oils may have the following effects on cancer patients:

- Reduction in anxiety
- Reduction in blood pressure, pulse, and respiration
- Reduction in physical and psychological symptoms
- Improvement in quality of life
- Reduction in pain
- Improvement in mobility
- Improvement in sleep
- Reduction in depression

Those with terminal cancers, like mesothelioma patients, and even those with stage 1 cancer, can benefit from Aromatherapy treatments. After seeking advice from a physician and, of course, after serious prayer and deliberation, it may benefit you or anyone you know who may be fighting cancer to find out if aromatherapy can help.

Submitted by Krista Peterson, student, writer, health and safety advocate.

For more information on the benefits of therapeutic essential oils visit the Oils For Wellness website.

How To Use Therapeutic Essential Oils

2011-01-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter or purchase these amazing essential oils at the Oils For Wellness website!

Christmas Book Review: Little Star

2010-12-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Author Anthony DeStefano contacted me with the opportunity to review his new children's book, Little Star. He also sent an additional copy to share, which I gave to one of my friend's 3 year old boy on his birthday last month. My husband commented that he was attracted to the appearance of the book right away because of its quality illustrations. The story is the perfect blend of imaginative whimsy and meaningful message that the kids I have read it to have enjoyed very much.

Little Star is a very simple retelling of the Nativity story which focuses on the star of Bethlehem—the smallest star in the heavens—who burns himself out to keep the newborn baby Jesus warm in a Bethlehem stable. The author's goal was to try to encapsulate the whole gospel message in a simple Christmas story, and to do so in a way that all kids could relate to.

This book is available for purchase in time for Christmas. Below is my Amazon.com affiliate link for easy ordering. Enjoy!

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas season!

2010-12-06T08:53:00.001-08:00

Joyful World Religious

Unique party invitations and announcements by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Dry Eyes

2010-12-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

"My husband has a biology background and was totally impressed after learning how the oils work at the cellular level. He was sold on their value and began using them daily. He uses a 50-50 mixture of Frankincense essential oil and carrier oil [grapeseed, extra virgin olive, or jojoba helps the EO penetrate and nourish skin] around his eyes which has alleviated the need for prescription medication for dry eyes."
Sammye Rice, Morehead, KY
Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about the healing benefits of essential oils!

Pure and Precious Frankincense

2010-11-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

As the Christmas season approaches, it is a great time to spotlight frankincense--a precious gift brought to the newborn Anointed One! It is one of my very favorite oils that stimulates a peaceful yet focused attitude for prayer or ministering to my massage clients. Countless studies have demonstrated the amazing health benefits of this unique gift, but some still question which species offer the most therapeutic value.

Ever wonder what it takes to create the world's best frankincense essential oil, pure enough to take internally as a medicinal supplement? The first video shows the varieties of frankincense trees and why Young Living uses Boswellia sacra and carteri species. The second video shows the delicate process of harvesting the resin from the tree. More to come on the healing benefits of frankincense!
Be well, Jen
Oils For Wellness

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

2010-10-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

"My 22 year old daughter's birth mom drank alcohol during pregnancy, leaving my girl to deal with the effects of FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). One of the most difficult symptoms is emotional "meltdowns" when she is unable to control her emotions. I have found that Tranquil aromatherapy blend roll on has been helpful in relaxing her, so I keep one in my pocket or purse for that purpose." Carol Van Pelt, Fulton, IL

***Jennifer's note: While the healing influence of essential oils is very beneficial, it is important to consider the structural imbalance of the cranial bones and membranes in an individual with FAS. This imbalance is a huge factor in emotional control as well as overall health. Craniosacral therapy is often helpful to address brain function through structural balancing.

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter for more information about the healing benefits of therapeutic essential oils. To order essential oils please call Jennifer at 715-381-6979.

Can Hate Make You Sick?

2010-09-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Whenever I visit a church, one of the first things
I look at in the church bulletin are the number of
people on the sick list requesting prayer. Often
the list is quite long. This is very troubling to me,
because over the years I know many of my brothers
and sisters in Christ have died from sickness. Others
remain sick and unhealed even after much prayer.

Why is that? Why is it so many Christians remain
unhealed after so much prayer and anointing with
oil. It's not only frustrating to everyone involved,
it challenges whether spiritual healing is real or
not...even ones faith in God.

Like in so many other things in life, it all comes
down to what's really going on within our heart and
soul. I mean people are really good at playing games
with themselves and others. This includes our
relationship with God.

I'll never forget what one of my Bible Professors
mentioned one day in class on the subject of loving
God. He said:

"We love Jesus only as much
as we love the least of men."

What he said, of course, is very true. Here's a
sampling of verses you may want to review on the
subject.

Matthew 5:43; 19:19; 22:39
I John 3:10, 3:23, 4:19-20

This is a hard teaching for some people who claim to love
God. For they may still carry deep-seated hatred and
unforgiveness in their hearts toward others who have
wronged them. Sometimes this hatred lies so deep within
their soul, it is overlooked in their daily lives. I mean
their hatred lies so deep within it is part of who they
are as human beings. They don't give it thought unless
they are personally confronted in a way they must deal
with it. Otherwise the subject is unconsciously dismissed.

I have no doubt this is one reason why many Christians
remain unhealed and wonder why. God is not a respecter
of persons, nor will He be mocked or fooled (Galatians 6:7)
We simply cannot be right with God and harbor hatred
toward those who wrong us (Those God loves as much as
He does us) if there is to be healing.

But there's another side of this truth which teaches we
must love one another. That other side is self!!!

As much as the roots of hatred toward others can run
deep within hearts and souls, hatred toward self
can run as deep and be even more complex.

This is why forgiveness lies at the root of healing.
For unless our heart and soul is free of the sin of
hatred, there can be no healing, physically or
spiritually. This applies as much to hatred of
self as it does toward hatred of others.

We need to understand Godly love is the opposite of
hatred. We need to understand love is only made possible
through Jesus Christ. For without God's love for us,
there can be no love in this world. This is why the
Bible says...

"We love because God first loved us. If anyone says,
"I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar.
For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has
seen, cannot love God. Whom he has not seen."
- I John 4:19-20

Again, this is a hard teaching for some to accept
and live by. However, without forgiveness, there is
no salvation, no healing, no eternal dwelling with
God. All of us know John 3:16. But it is John 3:19-21
that explains why. I hope you read those verses.

The process of healing involves cleansing. Hatred is
an evil. It is a sin of the heart and soul, be it
toward others or self. No man can walk in the light
of God's truth and hate others or him or herself.
Neither can he or she be spiritually healed of
physical sickness.

Deep-seated hatred destroys the body as much as it
does the soul. Hatred (an emotion) interrupts the body's
ability to maintain homeostasis. This, in turn, creates
conditions within the body for disease to take hold.
Our body is very complex and works in ways doctors
even to this day can only marvel about.

God, however, is our creator. He knows you and your
body like no one else can or ever will. The Psalmist
wrote:

"...You created my inmost being; you knit me together
in my mother's womb...My frame was not hidden from you
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth."
-Psalm 139:13-16

Only God can heal and restore our once innocent souls
on such deep levels. Why then should we dismiss Him
or His ability to spiritually heal us physically?

Satan knows our every weakness and propensity. He
works full time to corrupt them for our eternal
destruction...even to the point of self-deceit.

Folks...I'm not saying unforgiveness and hatred explains
every case why someone remains unhealed. There are numerous
causes that must be examined. But what I am saying is
it is our worldly nature to be the master of our souls.

Giving ourselves over to God and letting go of controlling
our lives will not happen unless we are completely broken
of that selfish spirit. That is the crux of the matter.
That is what lies at the center of the great spiritual
battle for our souls.

God mends broken spirits. He cannot mend self-centered
spirits bent on hatred and deceit of self or hatred
toward others. Before you come to the Lord of life
for healing and salvation, know yourself and where
you stand.

A woman who suffered with breast cancer sought spiritual
counseling. The disease was in stage III and she was
scared to death. She said she and her church had prayed
for her healing many times, but that she had never
received spiritual counseling. It wasn't until then
when she received counseling that she realized and
confessed hated toward her now dead mother. She said
she had done so for the way her mother had treated her.

She said she knew hatred is a sin, but had never
reflected upon it in her own life. She never realized
that she was leading a self-centered life, even
though she had long ago obeyed the Gospel of Christ.
Neither had she connected her hatred with the cancer
in her breast.

In prayer she repented asking God for forgiveness, and
renewed her commitment to Christ (to live for Him
and not for herself). She did so, first and foremost
not to be healed physically but to be healed spiritually.
It was an emotional time and she cried. Tears poured
forth amidst her sobs.

Her emotional release signaled healing had begun. God
was healing her both spiritually and physically in that
moment of release. With hatred gone from her heart and
soul, her body could heal and it did. The very next
test she took showed no sign of the cancer previously
documented. May God be praised! Amen!

I'm not saying healing will happen for someone else
like it did with this woman. But, this is the power
of God to save (heal). If we as a people of God are
ever to reach others outside of Christ, we must first
know who we are and how God's power will only work
with broken spirits to heal the sick. For the proud
and haunty He will not.

All men must die. Death is God's judgment for sin
(Ezekiel 18:4). But those of us in Christ should
die from old age (free of sickness), not from a
disease supported by sin in our life.

May the God of healing fill your life with
blessings, and Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jim Lynn
Director
God's Healing Word

The Go To Momma Show Interviews The OilGirl!

2010-09-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

Listen to internet radio with Cuttin Up Radio on Blog Talk Radio

I share how my journey in aromatherapy began, information on the difference between therapeutic oils versus fragrance oils, and basics on how Dr. Mom's can use aromatherapy to keep their households healthy!

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Varicose Veins

2010-08-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Marie Paul submitted the following tip:

“The first oil I used habitually was cypress essential oil. I had really ugly varicose veins from working long hours standing while pregnant with my four children. I have been using cypress oil on my varicose veins for the last year and a half and they are almost gone! I can now wear those nice skirts and shorts without feeling old and self-conscious.”

Order pure therapeutic essential oils at the Oils For Wellness website and be sure to subscribe to the free aromatherapy e-newsletter!

Beautiful Patterns in Nature

2010-08-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

"Ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the air, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish of the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." ~ Job 12:7-10

AromaHelp Tip of the Week: Heartburn

2010-08-09T08:16:00.000-07:00

Heartburn is a form of indigestion characterized by a tight, burning sensation in the middle of the chest. The unpleasant taste that often accompanies it is caused by gastic acid flowing up from the stomach. This condition may stem from over-hasty eating, an unfortunate combination of foods, or an emotional reaction.

USEFUL ESSENTIAL OILS:
Peppermint and Lemon are digestive oils, while Sandalwood encourages relaxation.

Application with massage:

Acid-Regulating Lotion Recipe

2 drops each of Peppermint and Lemon
3 drops Sandalwood (optional)
2 Teaspoons Unscented carrier lotion

Mix the essential oils with the carrier lotion and apply a little of the lotion below your breastbone and the area just beneath. Use the palm of your hand and massage clockwise, circular motion, applying firm pressure. Apply as needed for relief.

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter or order pure therapeutic oils at the Oils For Wellness website.

Quote of the Week

2010-08-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

The world is round
and the place which may seem like the end
may also be the beginning.
~Unknown

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Dental Problems

2010-08-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

"Rosemary, Oregano, and Thieves oils may have saved my two front bottom teeth. My dentist hit a nerve in one and came close in the adjacent tooth, while drilling two cavities. He advised me to see an orthodontist, as it was likely that one or both teeth would die. I was out of juniper oil, but used the other oils for nerve regeneration and infection protection. I swabbed both teeth and gum areas with these oils for several days and the teeth are fine 10 months later."

~Rita Tester, Eagan, MN

Subscribe to the free Oils For Wellness e-newsletter to learn more about therapeutic essential oils!

Free Essential Seven Oils Kit In August!

2010-08-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

This August, get all the benefits of the on-the-go Essential 7™ collection for free!
Contains:
Lavender Essential Oil
Peppermint Essential Oil
Lemon Essential Oil
Joy™ Essential Oil
PanAway® Essential Oil
Peace & Calming® Essential Oil
and Purification™ Essential Oil

This take-anywhere kit is the perfect kit for every home and every body!To qualify for your free Essential 7 kit, place a single order of 195 PV* or more August 1-31, 2010 and you’ll receive an Essential 7 collection—a retail value of $91! Order online or call Jen at 715-381-6979

Quote of the Week

2010-08-01T19:43:00.000-07:00

"We are a driven people. We have-most of us-abandoned any real practice of Sabbath in our lives, and we think we can get along without it. Overwhelmed is not inevitable. Exhaustion is not spiritual, or even noble. God did not merely create the Sabbath, he commanded us to enter in. (He makes me lie down in green pastures! Ps. 23)."
~John Eldridge

Essential Oils And Emotional Roots Of Disease

2010-07-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

Whatever goes on in our heart or mind definitely affects our actions and ultimately rules our whole lives. What usually precedes or follows a thought? A feeling. And the feeling is what rules our mind-heart. Dr. Christian Bernard is reported to have made the statement that a person would not be able to live for a very long period of time on an artificial heart as it does not have brain cells. In order for person's heart to function on a continual basis, it must have brain cells.

Why is this? It has to do with the DNA and RNA. In order for the harmonious flow of life to continue in a human being, the part of the cell that contains the blueprint or intelligence (DNA) and the part of the cell that carries out the instructions (RNA) has to have directions. An artificial heart is void of this intelligence (DNA).

The Scriptures give us clear indication and appreciation that the heart and the mind are inseparable. Points of interest are references the Bible makes to the heart-mind connection, indicating that DNA is involved in this process.

"For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he...

Proverbs 23:7

"The good man brings good things

out of the good stored up in his heart,

and the evil man brings evil things

out of the evil stored up in his heart.

For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

Luke 6:45

"Repent therefore of this your wickedness,

and pray God if perhaps

the thought of your heart may be forgiven you."

Acts 8:22

One of the unique aspects of essential oils is the fact that, when inhaled, they go directly to our emotional and spiritual centers of the brain. These are organs that respond only to aroma. They do not respond to spoken words or to substances that cannot pass the blood-brain barrier. Talk therapy and most prescription drugs cannot reach the emotional center of the brain. The molecules of essential oils are of the right composition and size to pass through the blood-brain barrier.

Even water does not pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is a good thing, or else our heads would all swell up like watermelons every time we got caught in a rain storm. But essential oils do pass through, which is one of the secrets to their amazing therapeutic abilities. They can reach into our emotional brains and unlock forgotten feelings that are the roots of many of our physical problems.

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart...

Proverbs: 27:9

"A merry heart does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones."

Proverbs 17:22

Essential oils also address the roots of our problems at cellular levels, right down to the DNA inside the cells. They cleanse the cells, protect them from hostile microbes, delete incorrect information in cellular memory, and reprogram proper information so that cells have a correct job description and can function as God intended.

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about the healing benefits of pure, therapeutic essential oils!

Uncomfortably Numb: The Reality of Antidepressants

2010-07-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Not All Essential Oils Are Created Equal....

2010-07-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

There are 4 Grades of Essential Oils:

Grade A oils are pure therapeutic quality and are usually made from organically grown plants distilled at the proper temperatures using steam distillation.

Grade B oils are food grade; they may contain synthetics, pesticides, fertilizers, extenders, or carrier oils.

Grade C oils are perfume grade and may contain the same type of adulterating chemicals as food grade oils. They usually contain solvents which are used to gain a higher yield of oil per harvest. Solvents are highly toxic and contribute to cancer.

Floral Water is a byproduct of the distillation process, a very high quality if it comes from a Grade A distillation process. Accordingly it is of low quality if it comes from poor quality raw materials and or poor distillation processes. It is usually found in skin and hair products.

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about what makes essential oils pure,therapeutic grade and safe for medicinal use.

Cooking with Essential Oils

2010-07-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Essential oils are different from common vegetable oils such as olive, flax, sesame, or canola. While both have benefits, cooking with essential oils can be a healthier alternative to vegetable oils in many instances. Here are some of the key differences between the two types of oils:

Vegetable oils contain glycerol, which leaves a greasy residue when applied to the skin and creates a slippery surface (i.e. in the pan); essentials oils do not create a slippery surface (unless mixed with vegetable oil).
Vegetable oils are 100% fat; essential oils contain no fat.
Vegetable oils are primarily pressed from seeds, nuts, avocados, olives or the bran of grains; pure essential oils are steam distilled from plants (with the exception of citrus oils which are cold-pressed).

The following essential oils are frequently used in recipes: lemon, orange, nutmeg, black pepper, peppermint, ginger, mandarin, sage, tangerine, lemongrass, grapefruit, fennel, spearmint, cinnamon bark, oregano, clove, and basil, among others.

Many people believe that using essential oils in cooking is a relatively new idea; in fact there are thousands of food products that use essential oils for aroma and flavor such as chewing gum, chocolates, candies, and many more. While certain essential oils can be harmful if taken in high dosages, moderate use as flavoring (a few drops per person) is not only safe but delicious!

Be sure to subscribe to the free Oils For Wellness e-newsletter!

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Cat Fleas

2010-07-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

"We found a kitten, near death, filled with fleas and larvae pouches all over his belly. I got a bottle of Young Living's Purification essential oil blend from the car, poured about 10 drops in my hands and started towards him. The fleas started jumping off like in a cartoon! He licked off what I applied, which killed anything internally. "Charlie" is now 6 years old."
~Lynn Bartczak, Downers Grove, IL

Visit the Oils For Wellness website to subscribe to my free e-newsletter or to order Young Living Essential Oils products.

The Ant Philosophy

2010-07-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Ant Philosophy

~By Jim Rohn

"The ants are a people not strong, yet they gather their food in the summer." Proverbs 30:26

Over the years I've been teaching children about a simple but powerful concept - The Ant Philosophy. I think everybody should study ants. They have an amazing four-part philosophy.

The first part is: Ants never quit. That's a good philosophy. If they're headed somewhere and you try to stop them, they will look for another way. They'll climb over. They'll climb under. They'll climb around. They keep looking for another way until they find one. What a neat philosophy, to never quit looking for a way to get where you're supposed to go.

Second, ants think winter all summer. That's an important perspective. You can't be so naive as to think summer will last forever. So ants are gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer. An ancient story says, "Don't build your house on the sand in the summer." Why do we need that advice? Because while it may seem like sand is a good place to build in the summer when it's dry, you've got to think ahead to the storms of the winter when it is wet and where sand may not be so good when it floods. As you enjoy the sand and Summer sun, you've got to think rocks for a more solid foundation to weather the storms of Winter. Think ahead. Ants do.

The third part of the ant philosophy is that ants think summer all winter. That is so important. During the winter, ants remind themselves, "This won't last long; we'll soon be out of here." And the first warm day, the ants are out. If it turns cold again, they'll dive back down, but then they come out the first warm day. During winter, they live in a state of positive expectation and can't wait to get out.

And here's the last part of the ant philosophy. How much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All he possibly can. What an incredible philosophy, the "all-you-possibly-can" philosophy.

Wow, what a great seminar - "The Ant Seminar," taught and lived by tiny six-legged creatures with brains smaller than the head of a pin, yet containing all the wisdom they need to succeed and survive.

1. Never give up.

2. Look ahead.

3. Stay positive.

4. Do all you can.

People write whole books on these topics while the life of an ant expresses these principles in less than a dozen words.

Win Wild Olive Tees And Wear The Word!!

2010-07-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Wild Olive tees is giving away $75 worth of Scripture tshirts,

that's 3 beautifully designed tees with uplifting Bible verses for FREE!

I have got my 3 picked out, how about you?

Enter to win before July 25th!

What If Beauty Ads Told The Truth? (Parody)

2010-07-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Great piece about phthalates toward the end! Hilarious irony, but unfortunately very true if consumers take a closer look at the advertising we buy into.

Celebrating My Second Year Blogiversary!

2010-07-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

I hit "publish" on my first blog post here on Oils For Wellness two years ago today! Can't describe my blogging journey better than this...

“If you do a good job for others,

you heal yourself at the same time,

because a dose of joy is a spiritual cure.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,

Jen

Di-Gize Essential Oil Blend to the Rescue!

2010-07-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

This morning my three and a half year old son came to the breakfast table with a pained expression on his face. I was making a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel, which he loved. His complexion was ashen gray and he was doing a whimper crying thing that is so unlike him. He did not look good, even his lips were white. Stomach flu is going around our church and one of the kids in our Life Group threw up at our Fourth of July celebration Saturday night. Oh, dear, he might be getting the flu was my first thought.

He ate a bite of his bagel and ran into the living room to lay on the couch, again, not something he would never normally do first thing in the morning. He said "I don't feel good, my tummy hurts". I told him that Mommy would get some oil for him. I put a couple drops of grapeseed oil in my palm and added a couple drops of Young Living's Di-Gize essential oil blend of tummy-soothing Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), ginger (Zingiber officinale), peppermint (Mentha piperita), juniper (Juniperus osteosperma and J. scopulorum), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus), anise (Pimpinella anisum), and patchouli (Pogostemon cablin).

I rubbed some of the oil mixture from my palm on his belly in a clockwise motion, then began rubbing the soles of his feet. Before I could start rubbing the second foot, he was kicking his legs trying to get up! He jumped up, ran into the kitchen, and wolfed down the WHOLE BAGEL! His lips were red and color started to return to his cheeks. Essential oils often take some time to work, but this morning they INSTANTLY transformed my son who looked every shade of gray and about to vomit. We had a wonderful day playing outside, riding his bike, ate Greek chicken salad for lunch, and with no tummy issues at all.

To learn more how therapeutic essential oils can benefit your family, subscribe to my free e-newsletter or order Young Living products at the Oils For Wellness website.
Be well,
Jen

Winner of the Summer Blog Tour Giveaway!

2010-07-02T20:21:00.001-07:00

Congratulations goes to Donna, comment #10( chosen by Random.org generator), who won a Young Living Essential Oils Tranquil Aromatherapy Roll On! Thanks to all the The Work at Home Woman and Living My MoMent Summer Blog Tour visitors who are following and entered the giveaway.

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Nail Polish Spills

2010-06-20T13:59:00.000-07:00

"I recently spilled dark nail polish on my red sofa. The polish was black..first I tried polish remover..then Goo Gone..nothing happened! I used Young Living's Thieves Household Cleaner undiluted on a cloth and poof..disappeared! Jennifer!!!! I love you!!! It is completely gone!!!"
~Mary Morgan, Stella and Dot Stylist

Order your Thieves Household Cleaner by calling Jennifer at 715-381-6979 or online at the Oils For Wellness website. After entering website, click Get Started Now to view product catalog.

Young Living Quality From Seed to Seal

2010-06-18T07:42:00.000-07:00

SleepEssence Reviewers Needed!

2010-06-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

Want to try a natural product to enhance your nights sleep? If you have moderate to severe insomnia and 200+followers/readers, I would love for you to review Young Living Essential Oils SleepEssence softgels on your blog!

Quote of the Week

2010-06-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

A Short History of Medicine
2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root."
1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer."
1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion."
1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill."
1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic."
2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is harmful. Here, eat this root."
~Author Unknown

Essentials For Your Natural Medicine Cabinet

2010-06-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about compiling a "nutshell" list of what supplies one should have on hand to become an efficient user of everyday aromatherapy. You can add other first aid items to this list of course such as bandages, etc. These are the necessary tools for using essential oils safely and easily instead of commercial products and OTC medicines. This is what I use for my family's health care!

Essential Oils:

The Young Living Essential Oils Everyday Oils Kit detailed below will provide nine basic single oils and blends needed for your medicine cabinet. It is available for purchase here at retail or wholesale prices. The wholesale kit includes a coupon for 50% off the Home Diffuser. You can also watch a video presentation on these 9 oils on the website also.
Lavender
Apply 2-3 drops lavender oil on a minor burn or sunburn to decrease pain or on a rash to relieve itching.
Apply one drop on a cut to stop the bleeding.
For nosebleeds, put a drop of lavender on a tissue and wrap it around a small chip of ice, press under middle of top lip to the base of the nose and hold as long as comfortable or until bleeding stops, careful to not freeze lip or gum.

Peppermint
Rub 4-6 drops in the palm and rub over stomach and around navel to relieve indigestion, flatulence, nausea, and diarrhea.
Add a drop to a mug of warm water to aid in digestion and relieve heartburn.
Rub several drops on the bottoms of the feet to reduce a fever.

Lemon
Saturate a cotton swab and use between toes to clear athlete's foot.
Put a drop on bleeding gums caused by gingivitis or tooth extraction.
Rub a drop on to help reduce corn, callous, and bunion twice daily-am and pm.

PanAway Blend
Apply topically on sore muscles, arthritis, or injured area to reduce inflammation and bruising.
Rub a few drops on the temples, forehead, and back of the neck to relieve a headache.

Peace and Calming Blend
Diffuse in the room to calm autistic, ADD, overactive or hard to manage children.
Diffuse while sleeping to help stop nocturnal teeth grinding.

Purification Blend
Put a drop on insect bites to neutralize the poison and stop the itching.
Rub a drop on the outside of a sore throat when it is first beginning.
Rub a drop on a blister, cut, or scrape to cleanse and disinfect.

Thieves Blend

Place 2-3 drops in honey or a capsule or apply to the bottoms of the feet for immune system support especially during flu season.
Diffuse to eliminate bacteria, mold, allergens, and odors in the air.

Valor Blend
Massage into neck, chest, or shoulders to release tension.
Drop onto the wrists to ease anxiety and encourage confidence.

Frankincense
Massage several drops on the temples and back of the neck for stress relief.
Drop onto the skin to minimize or soothe scarring and stretch marks.
Apply on the face to minimize oil production and acne.

Other essential oils and items to keep on hand:

Melaleuca alternifolia (basic antiseptic/fights super germs)

Eucalyptus globulus (fights super germs/respiratory infection)

Eucalyptus radiata (for kids-respiratory illness)

Young Living Essential Oils Di-Gize Blend (stomach flu and food poisoning)

Young Living Thieves Antiseptic Spray (for cleansing minor abrasions and wounds)

Young Living Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitizer

Young Living Thieves Hard Lozenges (sore throats)

Young Living Essential Oils LavaDerm Spray (minor burns and sunburn)

Young Living Essential Oils Inner Defense softgels (for flu, candida, and infections-instead of antibiotics)

Young Living Essential Oils Life 5 Probiotic (restores intestinal flora-to be used with Inner Defense

Order Young Living products at the Oils For Wellness website, click through to enter the site and Get Started Now to access product catalog.

Aromatherapy Supplies You Will Need:

Storage case to hold at least 16 essential oil bottles

Cold air ultrasonic Home Diffuser

Glass droppers/pipettes for filling bottles, samples, or capsules

2 ounce amber or blue glass bottles for mixing/storing blended oils

2 and 4 Ounce solid white plastic bottles for creating bath gels or lotions.

Preprinted Young Living essential oil labels for bottles/samples.

Glass roll on applicators-great for applying diluted oils/blends for perfume and therapeutic use.

Half ounce plastic dropper bottles for administering EOs blended in a carrier oil

The aromatherapy supplies listed above are available at Abundant Health.

Carriers To Blend Essential Oils:

Pure jojoba (*my favorite-doesn't go rancid), grapeseed, almond, or Young Living V-6 Massage Oil (for topical use)

Pure aloe vera jelly or juice (burns, skin abrasions).

Honey or organic agave nectar, olive oil (dietary use)

Empty vegetarian capsules for dietary supplementation of essential oils.

Alba Botanica Unscented Body Lotion for creating your own scented lotions using EOs.

Young Living Essential Oils Bath Gel Base for making your own bath gels.

Epsom or sea salts for baths or foot soaks (injury, bruising, sore muscles)

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about using therapeutic essential oils! Call me if you would like to order or need more information on becoming an everyday oiler! 715-381-6979

Be Well,

Jennifer Nordin

2010 Summer Blog Tour Tranquil Giveaway

2010-05-30T10:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Oils For Wellness, blog tourists! Summer activities naturally take us bloggers away from our computers. The Summer Blog Tour sponsored by The Work at Home Woman and Living My MoMent gives us all a great opportunity to take a spin around the blogsphere and make some new friends. My name is Jen, aka OilGirl. Thanks for visiting!

I am known in my local community and online as the OilGirl because I am crazy about aromatherapy and essential oils! This profession has become a meaningful vehicle to live out my Christian faith through the power of touch which Jesus modeled in His ministry. I believe pure essential oils are "God's love manifest in molecules"-- some of His magnificently designed creations for the healing of mankind. I love sharing my decade of experience in the field of aromatic medicine through workshops, private consultations, contributing to The Healthy Moms blog, and here on Oils For Wellness.

Hudson, Wisconsin located on the beautiful St. Croix River is my home sweet home where I live with my husband of 6 years. We have a healthy and happy three year old son named Gunnar who is our miracle boy thanks to prayer and lavender oil! My journey in the healing arts began in 1999 when I began training in massage therapy. In 2000 I discovered Young Living Essential Oils and fell in love with therapeutic essential oils. It was so exciting to discover that benefits of aromatherapy went far beyond relaxation. Since then I have enjoyed hundreds of hours of training in aromatherapy, nutrition, the Raindrop and Vitaflex techniques, essential oil chemistry, and clinical aromatherapy through Young Living, Center for Aromatherapy Research and Education, and Jane Buckle's Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Professionals program.

I work part time at a chiropractic clinic providing massage services through my business At Peace Therapeutic Massage, which I eventually plan to expand into my own wellness center. My latest training is in Biodynamic Body Balancing-craniosacral therapy and myofascial release.

Out of school kids, long car trips, weddings, and graduations can be stressful! I thought a Tranquil aromatherapy roll on (lavender, Roman Chamomile, Cedarwood blend) from Young Living Essential Oils would be an appropriate giveaway for this often not-so-carefree season.

OILS FOR WELLNESS "TRANQUIL" GIVEAWAY DRAWING ON JUNE 30th!

TO ENTER YOU MUST Become/be a follower of Oils For Wellness blog and leave a comment telling me your favorite scent of summer.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

Like the Oils For Wellness Facebook Page

Follow OilGirl2 on Twitter

Post about the Tranquil Giveaway on your blog or Facebook status update

Quote of the Week

2010-05-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

In the nineteenth century men lost their fear of God
and acquired a fear of microbes.
~Author Unknown

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Bee Repellent

2010-05-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

“I am allergic to bees and it seems that they are attracted to me for some reason. When bees come around, I spray Young Living Essential Oils Thieves® Spray in the air around me. I cannot believe how well it works. It doesn't kill the bees; they just fly away from me. Thanks for this product!”

~Sandy Lee

Order Young Living Essential Oils products at the Oils For Wellness website!

Aromatherapy for Menstrual Cramps

2010-05-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Essentials For Women's Health

2010-05-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Recently featured in Essential Lifestyle magazine, Dr. Dan Purser has an extensive resume that includes practices in family medicine with an emphasis on women’s health and preventative care of the body.

Menopause

As women mature, the most pressing health concern is menopause. Menopause is inevitable, it is unavoidable, and it can be extremely difficult. There are 35 known health effects associated with menopause including:

Hot flashes
Night sweats
Fatigue
Insomnia
Increased wrinkles
Weight gain and muscle loss (sarcopenia)
Memory issues

Thankfully, progesterone—a naturally-occurring human hormone—can combat or decrease many of these negative effects. Progesterone is known to decrease foam cell formation[1], endothelial inflammation, and plaque formation—thus promoting a healthy cardiovascular system. Unfortunately, as the body ages levels of progesterone decrease. In order to stay healthy, it is recommended that most women supplement their progesterone levels.

Natural Solution:
Dr. Purser’s go-to supplement for relieving the discomfort associated with menopause is Progessence™. “In my own office practice,” Dr. Purser attests, “Liberal use of Progessence dramatically decreased hot flashes and day and night sweats.”
Progessence™ is comprised of a variety of ingredients specially combined for women’s health. Progesterone, as mentioned above, is known to mitigate many of the health effects associated with menopause; pure geranium, fennel, and sage essential oils improve estrogen receptor function; and black and blue cohosh and wild yam help support proper levels of progesterone for women.

Osteoporosis
Menopause also increases the likelihood of developing osteoporosis—a disease that decreases bone density thereby increasing the chance of fracture. To combat osteoporosis, it’s a good idea to take a supplement that contains both calcium and magnesium[2] and selenium—an antioxidant associated with reduced risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in elderly subjects.[3]

Natural Solution:
Super Cal™, a supplement that combines calcium and magnesium with selenium, is Dr. Purser’s first choice to help maintain proper bone health. Super Cal takes the expertly formulated amounts of calcium, magnesium, and selenium and infuses it with pure marjoram, wintergreen, lemongrass, and myrtle essential oils to enhance the synergistic effects of this specially blended supplement.
[1] WEN-SEN LEE, CHAO-WEI LIU, SHU-HUI JUAN, YU-CHIH LIANG, PEI-YIN HO, AND YI-HSUAN LEE. Molecular Mechanism of Progesterone-Induced Antiproliferation in Rat Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells. Endocrinology 144(7):2785–2790. Copyright © 2003 by The Endocrine Society doi: 10.1210/en.2003-0045.
[2] Kitchin B, Morgan SL. Not just calcium and vitamin D: other nutritional considerations in osteoporosis. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2007 Apr; 9(1):85–92.
[3] Zhang J, Munger RG, West NA, Cutler DR, Wenegreen HJ, Corcoran CD. Antioxidant intake and risk of osteoporotic hip fracture in Utah: an effect modified by smoking status. Am J Epidemiol. 2006 Jan 1; 163(1):9–17.

Order these Young Living Essential Oils products at the Oils For Wellness website or call Jennifer at 715-381-6979.

Quote of the Week

2010-04-30T06:21:00.001-07:00

A person who uses his hands is a laborer.
A person who uses his hands and his head is a craftsman.
A person who uses his hands, his head, and his heart is an artist.
-Louis Nizer

How Essential Oils Release Cellular Memory

2010-04-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

The perception of smell consists not only of the sensation of the odors themselves but of the experiences and emotions associated with these sensations. Smells can evoke strong emotional reactions. In surveys on reactions to odors, responses show that many of the likes and dislikes of scents are based purely on emotional associations.

The association of fragrance and emotion is not an invention of poets or perfume-makers. The effect of smell is instant. The olfactory receptors in our noses are directly connected to the limbic system, which is thought to be the seat of emotion. Molecules arrive at receptors in the limbic part of our brain within seconds, triggering off a multitude of complex reactions. Smell sensations are relayed to the cortex, where ‘cognitive’ recognition occurs, only after the deepest parts of our brains have been stimulated. Thus, by the time we correctly name a particular scent as, for example, ‘lemon’ , the scent has already activated the limbic system, triggering more deep-seated emotional responses.

Smell is the only one of the five senses directly linked to the limbic lobe—the emotional control center—of the brain. From anxiety to depression, fatigue to stress, essential oils have long been appreciated for their uplifting, calming, and clarifying effects on emotional wellness. By diffusing essential oils or applying them topically to targeted areas of the body, therapeutic constituents reestablish balance where stress, depression, or mental discomfort has disrupted healthy emotional function.

Here is how it works thanks to Dr. David Stewart, Ph.D who has a wonderful way of putting scientific jargon into layman's terms. I find the human DNA structure so fascinating, and again, the intelligent handiwork of a loving Creator!

1. Essential oils are extracts from the natural juices of plants that circulate through the leaves, stems, roots and flowers their lifeblood.

2. The molecules of essential oils are small enough to circulate through human tissue bringing nutrients to the cells and carrying waste products out of the cells.

3. Essential oils carry electrons and oxygen into human tissue.

4. Essential oils also carry coded information that can be translated by cellular DNA and which can be of great therapeutic benefit to people-physical, mental, and emotional.

5. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different compounds found in essential oil molecules each with an affinity for certain cells of the human body.

6. In addition to the electrical nature of the human body by which it functions, the intracellular communication system of the human body also consists of thousands of compounds (called ligands) manufactured within the cells and sent out as messages and messengers to other cells in other parts of the body.

7. Ligands are composed of amino acids of which there are twenty known. Ligands consist of chains of amino acids. Consider the amino acids as an alphabet of twenty characters that can form and unlimited variety of words (ligands) by which cells send messages between themselves.

8. On the surface of all cells are thousands (even millions) of receptor sites, each designed to accept only certain types of ligands and to reject the rest. This is how a ligand released by one set of cells (say the liver) finds its way to the specific cells of the organ or tissue (say the pancreas) that was intended by cells sending the message.

9. This how a ligand, like insulin, can circulate throughout one’s body and yet only be picked up by the cells that need the information that it carries.

10. In one sense, ligands are like keys that fit only certain locks (specific receptor sites).Ligands of the right shape (molecular structure) are accepted by cells with matching receptor sites(matching locks) while ligands of another shape are rejected ( the key that doesn’t fit).

11. The molecules of essential oils are like enzymes, hormones, vitamins, and ligands.They carry information that is pertinent only to the cells with receptor sites able to accept that specific ligand.

12. Hence, some oil molecules gravitate to muscle tissue, others to nerves, others still to the digestive system, and others to the heart, etc,each administering benefits, including the removal of toxins and the opening of emotionally stored memory in the DNA.

13. Not only can oils help release cellular memories stored anywhere in the body, depending on the oils applied, they also directly stimulate the limbic system or emotional brain, which is in the center of our heads.

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more about the amazing healing benefits of essential oils!

Be well, Jen

"Picked" A Winner!

2010-04-23T10:15:00.000-07:00

I won my top pick for the 5minutesformom Ultimate Blog Party!!!

A flower just for me....
One framed 8 x 10″ photo entitled “dahlia.”
Provided by: Dawn Chace Photography
Thank you Dawn for donating this lovely prize!

Quote of the Week

2010-04-15T20:39:00.001-07:00

"The fragrance always remains

in the hand

that gives the rose."

~ Heda Bejar

Becoming an "Oiler": How to Use Essential Oils

2010-04-11T19:37:00.000-07:00

Thought it was time to share another "basics" post for my visitors who may not be familiar with aromatherapy. There are three basic ways to use essential oils: inhalation, topical application, and internal consumption.
Inhalation

The inhalation of essential oils heightens the senses and can trigger numerous desired responses in the body.

Below are several techniques used to inhale essential oils:

1: Direct inhalation-simply smell them.

2: Diffuse the oils using a Young Living diffuser which disperses the oil in a micro-fine vapor into the air. The Young Living diffuser will not heat the oils, thus ensuring full benefits, as extreme heat can damage important constituents in the oil.

3: Fill a humidifier with water. Put a tissue or small cloth, sprinkled with a few drops of oil, in front of the escaping steam. ( Do not put oil in your humidifier. It will float on top of the water instead of rising with the water vapor and may cause damage to your humidifier.)

4: Carefully pour hot water into a bowl and add a few drops of oil. Cover your head and bowl in a tent-like fashion with a towel. Breathe deeply and slowly.

Topical Application
Apply essential oils directly onto the skin where indicated. Dilute with V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or a pure vegetable oil (e.g., olive or almond ) before applying if dilution is indicated in the Application Chart. Dilution may protect against possible skin sensitivities. Key points of application on the body are:To apply topically on any of these areas, follow these simple steps:

1. Carefully tip the oil bottle and drop 2-3 drops in the palm of the hand or directly on the desired application area.

2. If dropping oil in your hand, rub palms together in a circular motion and then massage oil onto the desired point of application. If applying directly to the desired area, use your hand to massage the oil in a circular motion into the skin. Repeat if desired.

Attention: Essential oils are very potent, and some may be irritating to the skin. If irritation occurs, immediately apply V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or pure vegetable oil to the area to dilute. Please read label directions for each individual oil before using.

You can also create your own massage oil blends by mixing your favorite essential oils with V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex or by using Young Living’s pre-mixed massage oil blends (e.g., Relaxation, Ortho Ease) to relax, uplift, soothe, and relieve.

Where to Topically Apply Essential Oils

Crown of head
Temples
Behind ears
Neck
Upper back
Abdomen
Over vital organs
Soles and top of feet
Ankles

Suggested internal consumption methods (Young Living Essential Oils labeled as a dietary supplement only! Never ingest any other brand of essential oils unless it is clearly labeled for internal use):

1: Put several drops of oil into an empty capsule and swallow with water.
2: Add 1-2 drops to a glass of water or rice milk.
3: Put 1-2 drops onto a piece of bread or add to your meals when cooking.
4: Add 1-2 drops onto a teaspoon of Blue Agave and swallow.
5: Drop directly onto the tongue and swallow.

Exercise extreme caution when using this method. Many oils are very strong and should be tested by pouring a single drop onto a spoon and tasting a small portion to determine the amount of oil to be used. Keep all essential oils out of reach of children and pets.

Young Living essential oils are pure, which makes them powerful and effective. For the responsible use of essential oils, read the complete label on each bottle and follow the safety guidelines and tips found in the Essential Oils Desk Reference (see left sidebar to order).

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter to learn more tips and benefits of therapeutic essential oils! Young Living products may also be ordered through this site, just click Get Started Now once you enter the website to see product catalog.

Be well,
Jen

Welcome Ultimate Blog Party Visitors!

2010-04-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for visiting Oils For Wellness! This is my second year participating in the Ultimate Blog Party, you will find my prize donation listed at #10 on the US list. Last year I got to know so many lovely bloggers who stopped by and also became followers. A little about myself...

I am known in my local community and online as the OilGirl because I am crazy about aromatherapy and essential oils! This profession has become a meaningful vehicle to live out my Christian faith through the power of touch which Jesus modeled in His ministry. I believe pure essential oils are "God's love manifest in molecules"-- some of His magnificently designed creations for the healing of mankind.

I love sharing my decade of experience in the field of aromatic medicine through workshops, private consultations, contributing to The Healthy Moms blog, and here on Oils For Wellness. Hudson, Wisconsin located on the beautiful St. Croix River is my home sweet home where I live with my husband of 6 years. We have a healthy and happy three year old son named Gunnar who is our miracle boy thanks to prayer and lavender oil!
My journey in the healing arts began in 1999 when I began training in massage therapy. In 2000 I discovered Young Living Essential Oils and fell in love with therapeutic essential oils. It was so exciting to discover that benefits of aromatherapy went far beyond relaxation. Since then I have enjoyed hundreds of hours of training in aromatherapy, nutrition, the Raindrop and Vitaflex techniques, essential oil chemistry, and clinical aromatherapy through Young Living, Center for Aromatherapy Research and Education, and Jane Buckle's Clinical Aromatherapy for Health Professionals program. I work part time at a chiropractic clinic providing massage services through my business At Peace Therapeutic Massage, which I eventually plan to expand into my own wellness center. My latest training is in Biodynamic Body Balancing-craniosacral therapy and myofascial release. Actually, I will be at Level 2 this whole weekend, but I promise to party in the blogsphere during UBP week!

My top three picks for UBP prizes

US #24 – One framed 8 x 10″ photo entitled “dahlia.”
Provided by: Dawn Chace Photography,

US#75 – $100 Gift Certificate to SummitCampingGear.com
Provided by: StomperMom

US/Canada#10 – One winner will receive a beautiful handmade glass pendant with their choice of chain. The piece is made by me with care using glass and paper called “Lilac“.
Provided by: The Glass Polkadot Co.

Other prizes I would love to win!
US #11, #12, #37, #44, #87 and US/Can #3, #8, #13, #14, #15

Subscribe to the Oils For Wellness free e-newsletter and become a fan on Facebook to learn more about the benefits of therapeutic essential oils!

Be well,
Jen

Aren't You Glad God Recycles?

2010-04-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

Have a Blessed Resurrection Celebration!

Prayer And Healing Of MRSA: Madeline's Story

2010-03-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't participated in the MckLinky Blog Hop for a while. When I saw that the theme this week is "Answered Prayer", I couldn't resist sharing this story of how God used Oils For Wellness to heal a little girl that I have never met.

Back in August of 2008, I had only been blogging for barely a month. As I began to explore the blogsphere for ways to promote my blog, I put an announcement on a Christian women's network offering free essential oil samples. Shortly after that, I received an email from a woman named Rebecca from the West coast. I could sense the weary and desperate tone in her email as she shared her situation with me.

She had a daughter who was almost 2 years old at the time, ironically the same age as my son. Little Madeline had an environmental illness since she was a newborn. She could only eat 25 safe foods at the time and was allergic to almost everything including antibiotics. What was worse was that she had developed bleeding lesions in her diaper area that were infected with MRSA. I couldn't imagine the pain that little girl went through. Rebecca shared that she had found me online immediately after being told by her naturopathic doctor that Young Living Essential Oils might be something to investigate.

This mom is a faithful Christian who believes in the power of prayer! Rebecca had started a blog to chronicle her struggle with infertility and grief over a miscarriage of a baby boy at 12 weeks. Now she began to use her blog as also a vehicle for partnering with other Christians from all over the country to pray for Madeline. I joined the others who were storming the gates of heaven while developing an essential oil protocol that Rebecca could use to battle the MRSA.
Since Madeline was so sensitive to everything, it was a step of faith to even try aromatherapy. I had learned about the use of melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree species) and eucalyptus globulus for killing antibiotic resistant infections in my clinical aromatherapy studies. Samples of these oils plus lavender and a Young Living EO blend called Melrose were sent priority mail. Rebecca applied these four oils diluted in organic olive oil or jojoba oil, rotating them with each diaper change. To make a long story short, within weeks of consistant use of the oil protocol, Madeline's swab test came back from the lab negative for MRSA. Eventually the email that I had been praying for came in from Rebecca praising God that for the first time in months, she could see normal skin during Madeline's diaper change! Later I received the following notes from her:

I am SO thankful I found you when I did - and that you gave me the samples. I couldn't have made that investment without knowing if it would work. I think of the MRSA ordeal often and thank God for His provision. When I look back, I think of how you just took charge for me. You researched, got samples, gave me the jojoba, mailed them out at your expense - I didn't even have to think, which was good b/c I wasn't doing it very clearly (dealing with the fear and all). Even the bug bite thing. I have NO other recourse. Madeline just can't have anything, not even for a minute. I can't believe how well we've been able to cope with just the oils.

Thanks for taking such good care of our oil needs! Yours is a friendship that I thank the Lord for. Who would have thought the Internet would lead me to someone I would come to consider dear. Maybe someday we will even get to meet in person....before we get to heaven. :)

Thanks again, Rebecca
This experience was the highlight of 2oo8 to say the least. I keep praying that God will create more "Divine appointments" through my work here on Oils For Wellness! I will leave you with a couple of my favorite scripture verses that inspire me to diligently serve others and touch lives with these healing essential oils~God's love manifest in molecules.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
2 Corinthians 1:3,4
In Service of the Anointed One,
Jen

Blog Break

2010-03-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Has it been a week already?? I am studying my brains out for the anatomy/physiology final exam next week. Need to pass this course to take my national board exam in massage. If my head doesn't explode, I will be back to blogging here soon, I promise.
Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,
Jen

Tips For Using Essential Oils For Spring Cleaning

2010-03-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Warmer weather is almost here! Prepare now to clean out all the indoor allergens and dust that accumulates while your house is closed up during the winter months. Here are some tips that will help you create a clean, healthy house ready for a beautiful spring:

Gather your essential cleaning supplies: empty spray bottles, Thieves® Household Cleaner, Purification® essential oil blend, your favorite citrus oils, empty garbage bags, and a few rags.
Select your favorite air-purifying essential oil and diffuse it throughout your home while you are cleaning. Springtime favorites include the crisp aromas of lemongrass, orange, and Citrus Fresh™.
Launder all your bedding, towels, and curtains and add a capful, or about one teaspoon, of Thieves cleaner to each load for added freshness.
Thieves cleaner, either diluted in a spray bottle or a pail, is excellent on most surfaces, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. For areas that need additional power, add four or five drops of Purification in a spray bottle and spray directly on the problem areas.
Finish your spring cleaning by vacuuming and dusting. See the tips below to discover ways to add the power of essential oils to these tasks.

“I put 5–10 drops of peppermint and/or eucalyptus essential oil on a single sheet of toilet paper and then vacuum the sheet up. It emits a nice, uplifting scent while I'm vacuuming.”—Janet Scalzo

“I like to put lemon oil on a rag for dusting wood.”—Rachelle Draegert

Get your Start Living With Everyday Oils kit today! Includes 9 oils every house needs plus a 50% off coupon for a diffuser as well as a wholesale membership to purchase Young Living Essential Oils at the lowest price.

Call me at 715-381-6979 or order online at my website, fill in your contact information to enter site and click Get Started to purchase products.

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance, Jen

Quote of the Week

2010-03-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

A healthy attitude is contagious
but don't wait to catch it from others.
Be a carrier.
~ Source Unknown

What Can Essential Oils Do?

2010-03-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

A great explanation by Dr. Terry Friedmann, MD!

What can the oils do?

First of all they are transporters; they transport products to the cells of our body.

Secondly, they contain ATP which serves as the power source of the cells-the fuel.

Essential oils can also:

Normalize the viscosity of the blood.

Facilitate the delivery of vital nutrients.

Soothe muscle spasms.

Relieve migraine headaches.

Reduce mental fatigue.

Reduce pain and swelling of arthritis.

Release liver toxins.

Clean the gallbladder.

Clear up acne.

Stimulate the secretion of gastric juices.

Work to improve nerve impulses and synaptic connections.

Reverse insomnia and anxiety.

Heal burns, cuts, and infected wounds.

Lower cholesterol.

Relieve PMS symptoms.

Stimulate immune system functions.

Destroy fungi, bacteria, and viruses.

And smell great as perfume too!

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter to learn more about the benefits of therapeutic grade essential oils!

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,

Jen

UCLA Study On Friendship Among Women

2010-03-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

UCLA STUDY ON FRIENDSHIP AMONG WOMEN
By Gale Berkowitz

A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are. By the way, they may do even more. Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis.

This study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. It's a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress research ~ most of it on men ~ upside down."Until this study was published, scientists generally believed that when people experience stress, they trigger a hormonal cascade that revs the body to either stand and fight or flee as fast as possible," explains Laura Cousino Klein, Ph.D., now an Assistant Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Penn State University and one of the study's authors. "It's an ancient survival mechanism left over from the time we were chased across the planet by saber-toothed tigers. (Jen's note: I believe our Creator made us that way!) Now the researchers suspect that women have a larger behavioral repertoire than just "fight or flight." "In fact," says Dr. Klein, "it seems that when the hormone oxytocin is released as part of the stress responses in a woman, it buffers the "fight or flight" response and encourages her to tend children and gather with other women instead. When she actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect.

This calming response does not occur in men", says Dr. Klein, "because testosterone ~ which men produce in high levels when they're under stress~ seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin. Estrogen", she adds, "seems to enhance it." The discovery that women respond to stress differently than men was made in a classic "aha!" moment shared by two women scientists who were talking one day in a lab at UCLA. "There was this joke that when the women who worked in the lab were stressed, they came in, cleaned the lab,had coffee, and bonded, says Dr. Klein." When the men were stressed, they holed up somewhere on their own.

I commented one day to fellow researcher Shelley Taylor that nearly 90% of the stress research is on males. I showed her the data from my lab, and the two of us knew instantly that we were onto something." The women cleared their schedules and started meeting with one scientist afte r another from various research specialties. Very quickly, Drs. Klein and Taylor discovered that by not including women in stress research,scientists had made a huge mistake: The fact that women respond to stress differently than men has significant implications for our health. It may take some time for new studies to reveal all the ways that oxytocin encourages us to care for children and hang out with other women, but the"tend and befriend" notion developed by Drs. Klein and Taylor may explain why women consistently outlive men.

Study after study has found that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. "There's no doubt,"says Dr. Klein, "that friends are helping us live." In one study, for example, researchers found that people who had no friends increased their risk of death over a 6-month period. In another study, those who had the most friends over a 9-year period cut their risk of death by more than 60%. Friends are also helping us live better.

The famed Nurses' Health Study from Harvard Medical School found that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop physical impairments as they aged, and the more likely they were to be leading a joyful life. In fact, the results were so significant, the researchers concluded, that not having close friends or confidantes was as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight! And that's not all! When the researchers looked at how well the women functioned after the death of their spouse, they found that even in the face of this biggest stressor of all, those women who had a close friend confidante were more likely to survive the experience without any new physical impairments or permanent loss of vitality.

Those without friends were not always so fortunate.Yet if friends counter the stress that seems to swallow up so much of our life these days, if they keep us healthy and even add years to our life,why is it so hard to find time to be with them? That's a question that also troubles researcher Ruthellen Josselson, Ph.D., co-author of Best Friends: The Pleasures and Perils of Girls and Women's Friendships (ThreeRivers Press, 1998). "Every time we get overly busy with work and family,the first thing we do is let go of friendships with other women," explains Dr. Josselson. "We push them right to the back burner. That's really a mistake because women are such a source of strength to each other. We nurture one another. And we need to have unpressured space in which we can do the special kind of talk that women do when they're with other women.

It's a very healing experience."

Healing Haiti: A Call to Fasting and Prayer

2010-02-28T06:56:00.000-08:00

Praise God for the healing power of Jesus Christ!

Quote of the Week

2010-02-27T10:42:00.000-08:00

You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.
~ Unknown

Young Living Essential Oils Used At Beth Israel Medical Center

2010-02-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

This is why I have been a Young Living Essential Oils distributor for 10 years! It is exciting to know that more and more hospitals and health care facilities are recognizing Young Living as the world leader in essential oils.

Be well, Jen

More Cancer Fighting Facts About Frankincense

2010-02-23T19:33:00.000-08:00

The gift given by the wise men to the baby Jesus probably came across the deserts from Oman. The BBC's Jeremy Howell visits the country to ask whether a commodity that was once worth its weight in gold could be reborn as a treatment for cancer.

Oman's Land of Frankincense is an 11-hour drive southwards from the capital, Muscat.
Most of the journey is through Arabia's Empty Quarter - hundreds of kilometres of flat, dun-coloured desert. Just when you are starting to think this is the only scenery you will ever see again, the Dhofar mountains appear in the distance.

On the other side are green valleys, with cows grazing in them. The Dhofar region catches the tail-end of India's summer monsoons, and they make this the most verdant place on the Arabian peninsula.

Warm winters and showery summers are the perfect conditions for the Boswellia sacra tree to produce the sap called frankincense. These trees grow wild in Dhofar. A tour guide, Mohammed Al-Shahri took me to Wadi Dawkah, a valley 20 km inland from the main city of Salalah, to see a forest of them.

"The records show that frankincense was produced here as far back as 7,000 BC," he says. He produces an army knife. He used to be a member of the Sultan's Special Forces. With a practised flick, he cuts a strip of bark from the trunk of one of the Boswellia sacra trees. Pinpricks of milky-white sap appear on the wood and, very slowly, start to ooze out.

"This is the first cut. But you don't gather this sap," he says. "It releases whatever impurities are in the wood. The farmers return after two or three weeks and make a second, and a third, cut. Then the sap comes out yellow, or bright green, or brown or even black. They take this."
Shortly afterwards, a frankincense farmer arrives in a pick-up truck. He is white-bearded, wearing a brown thobe and the traditional Omani, paisley-patterned turban. He is 67-year-old Salem Mohammed from the Gidad family. Most of the Boswellia sacra trees grow on public land, but custom dictates that each forest is given to one of the local families to farm, and Wadi Dawkah is his turf.

He has an old, black, iron chisel with which he gouges out clumps of dried frankincense.
"We learnt about frankincense from our forefathers and they learnt it from theirs" he says. "The practice has been passed down through the generations. We exported the frankincense, and that's how the families in Dhofar made their livings."And what an export trade it was. Frankincense was sent by camel train to Egypt, and from there to Europe. It was shipped from the ancient port of Sumharan to Persia, India and China. Religions adopted frankincense as a burnt offering.

That is why, according to Matthew's Gospel in the Bible, the Wise Men brought it as a gift to the infant Jesus. Gold: for a king. Frankincense: for God. Myrrh: to embalm Jesus' body after death.
The Roman Empire coveted the frankincense trade. In the first century BCE, Augustus Caesar sent 10,000 troops to invade what the Romans called Arabia Felix to find the source of frankincense and to control its production. The legions, marching from Yemen, were driven back by the heat and the aridity of the desert. They never found their Eldorado. Oman's frankincense trade went into decline three centuries ago, when Portugal fought Oman for dominance of the sea routes in the Indian and the Pacific Oceans.

Nowadays, hardly any Omani frankincense is exported. Partly, this is because bulk buyers, such as the Roman Catholic Church, buy cheaper Somalian varieties. Partly, it is because Omanis now produce so little.
"Years ago, 20 families farmed frankincense in this area," says Salem Mohammed Gidad. "But the younger generation can get well-paid jobs in the government and the oil companies, with pensions. Now, only three people still produce frankincense around here. The trade is really, really tiny!"

Cancer hope

But immunologist Mahmoud Suhail is hoping to open a new chapter in the history of frankincense.
Scientists have observed that there is some agent within frankincense which stops cancer spreading, and which induces cancerous cells to close themselves down. He is trying to find out what this is.

"Cancer starts when the DNA code within the cell's nucleus becomes corrupted," he says. "It seems frankincense has a re-set function. It can tell the cell what the right DNA code should be.
"Frankincense separates the 'brain' of the cancerous cell - the nucleus - from the 'body' - the cytoplasm, and closes down the nucleus to stop it reproducing corrupted DNA codes."
Working with frankincense could revolutionise the treatment of cancer. Currently, with chemotherapy, doctors blast the area around a tumour to kill the cancer, but that also kills healthy cells, and weakens the patient. Treatment with frankincense could eradicate the cancerous cells alone and let the others live. The task now is to isolate the agent within frankincense which, apparently, works this wonder. Some ingredients of frankincense are allergenic, so you cannot give a patient the whole thing. *(Jen's note: Many people have used frankincense essential oil in its complete form to fight cancer with no allergenic reaction. It would be more accurate to say that you cannot give some patients the whole thing in my opinion.)

Dr Suhail (who is originally from Iraq) has teamed up with medical scientists from the University of Oklahoma for the task. In his laboratory in Salalah, he extracts the essential oil from locally produced frankincense. Then, he separates the oil into its constituent agents, such as Boswellic acid.
"There are 17 active agents in frankincense essential oil," says Dr Suhail. "We are using a process of elimination. We have cancer sufferers - for example, a horse in South Africa - and we are giving them tiny doses of each agent until we find the one which works."
"Some scientists think Boswellic acid is the key ingredient. But I think this is wrong. Many other essential oils - like oil from sandalwood - contain Boswellic acid, but they don't have this effect on cancer cells. So we are starting afresh."

The trials will take months to conduct and whatever results come out of them will take longer still to be verified. But this is a blink of the eye in the history of frankincense.
Nine thousand years ago, Omanis gathered it and burnt it for its curative and cleansing properties. It could be a key to the medical science of tomorrow.

Jeremy Howell reports for Middle East Business Report on BBC World News.

Quote of the Week

2010-02-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

"Those engaged in a healing mission with essential oils are constantly called upon to rely upon their intuitive faculties to decide which oils to use and how. This is necessary because there simply is not enough factual or scientific data available to make such decisions by intellectual means. This deficiency in applied research will eventually be remedied in time, perhaps over the next two centuries or so, but for the time being intuition is our best tool and, often, our only tool. "
~ Dr. David Stewart, author of Healing Oils of the Bible

You've Lost That Loving Feeling?

2010-02-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

According to Elizabeth Scott, M.S., stress in your life can lead to low libido. You may have already instinctively felt this, but studies prove that general stressors in your life can impact your sex drive. That means job stress, financial stress, the stress of being too busy, and especially relationship stress can negatively impact your libido, possibly causing stress in yet another area of your life.

Stress can affect your libido for several reasons.

Stress Response Affects Hormones

When you react to stress, your body goes through a series of changes in order to prepare you to run away or stay and fight, called your fight or flight response. Part of this response is the release of hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine (or adrenaline). If your stress response isn’t reversed, it can contribute to a condition known as chronic stress, and can also interfere with the hormones involved in your sexual response. The result can be low libido.

Busy Lifestyles Drain Sexual Energy

Many of us find ourselves busier than we ever thought possible. Especially for women, juggling multiple responsibilities of parenting, jobs, and keeping the household afloat can lead to an absolutely packed schedule. How can lead to low libido? Being constantly busy means having little down time, which can be an energy drain and a drain on your sex drive. A busy schedule can mean a busy mind — and having a lot on your mind can make it difficult to relax and "get in the mood," especially for women. A busy schedule can even present difficulties in finding the time for sex, or make it feel like just one more thing on your mile-long "to-do list." All of these factors can contribute to a lower libido.

Relationship Stress Can Hinder Intimacy

Relationship issues are perhaps the biggest issue to look at when dealing with low libido. Studies show that relationship stress— stress due to conflict within the relationship and other factors inside the relationship can be a stronger factor in low libido than other types of stress. This is true for both men and women. And because men and women both say that their partner’s satisfaction impacts their own libido, a lack of interest in one partner can mean a lack of interest for both partners. Low libido itself can be part of a conflicted dynamic that can lead to -- you guessed it -- more problems with low libido!

Studies also show that "positive touch" by a partner can have a soothing effect on women and help a woman feel more resilient toward stress, so losing this stress buffer can be another turn in a downward spiral of stress and low libido. Because relationship conflict can cause stress, lead to more circumstances that cause stress, and deprive you of stress-buffering effects as well, relationship difficulties are important to work through for the sake of your sex life.

Aromatherapy, especially when applied with massage, is a great way to promote mutual relaxation and kindle romance by calming the stress response!

How do essential oils affect the body's stress alarm system? Research* has led scientists to the conclusion that one of the reasons essential oils work as "balancers" in a person's nervous system is that they contain a complex assortment of biochemicals, some of which are stimulating and some of which are sedating. It appears that the actions of these multiple chemicals present in aromatic plant oils are synergistic and complementary, stimulating certain parts of the brain and sedating other parts at the same time, creating an overall beneficial, balancing effect. Curiously, the oils seem to "know" chemically which action is most needed! In aromatherapy, these oils are referred to as "adaptogens" because they can create different influences, depending on what the person needs for balance.

*Tisserand, R., "Essential Oils as Therapeutic agents" in Dodd, G.H. and Van Toller, S., Perfumery: The Psychology and Biology of Fragrance 1, Chapmand and Hall,1190, p.169

Recommended Essential Oils For Female Libido:

Jasmine Absolute

Rose

Ylang Ylang

Joy Essential Oil Blend

Valor Essential Oil Blend

Sensation Essential Oil Blend

Recommended Essential Oils For Male Libido:

Pine

Myrrh

Black Pepper

Ylang Ylang

Ginger

Nutmeg

Brain Power Essential Oil Blend

Transformation Essential Oil Blend

(Jen's note: Ok, the names of these recommended EO blends from my reference guide made me snicker! There are many women out there who would say their sex life would be fine if he would just think (Brain Power) and change (Transformation). Too funny! )

Any of the oils listed can be diffused into the air or diluted 50:50 in jojoba or grapeseed oil for topical application. Massage 4-6 drops of the mixture on neck, shoulders and lower abdomen 1-3 times daily. The seductive floral Young Living Sensation EO Blend is also formulated in a bath gel and premixed massage oil.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Be Well, Jen

A Reader Asks....

2010-02-11T18:41:00.000-08:00

Recently an Oils For Wellness follower (and a top commenter I might add) asked some great questions. I thought it would be helpful to the other readers to answer them as a post rather than just a comment so here goes.

PJ at PJ's Prose says:

I do have a couple of questions if you don't mind. =)

If I read correctly, you can use essential oils in many different ways, including ingesting them. Is it just as effective inhaling them as it is ingesting them?

OFW: ONLY therapeutic grade essential oils that are labeled as a dietary supplement are safe to take internally. Look for a white box that says "supplement facts" on the label. Young Living Essential Oils is one of the very few aromatherapy companies in the world that grow, test, research, and distribute these pure plant oils to use as medicine.

Inhalation of oils is particularly useful for respiratory and emotional issues, as well as cleansing environmental air. Spinal or muscle injuries benefit the most by topical application to the spine, reflex points of the feet, or specific injured area. Internal use of essential oils is extremely beneficial for digestion, boosting the immune system, and in the case of a major health crisis like infections, cancer, and parasites. In some cases, all three methods of application of essential oils (topical, inhalation, and ingestion) are interchangeable and may produce similar benefits.

Do you use a diffuser or can you use an oil burner or does it matter?

OFW: A cold air diffuser, preferably an ultrasonic one, is the best way to disperse the essential oils into the air with the therapeutic molecules intact. Heating essential oils in ways such as an oil burner can destroy the delicate chemical make up of the EOs which gives them their healing properties.

Wouldn't the size of the room affect how much of the properties of the oils were getting into your system?

OFW: Diffusing in a smaller room does concentrate the number of molecules that are inhaled in short time period, however the molecules can remain suspended in an indoor environment for several days and are still beneficial even if diffused in a larger area. If there is respiratory congestion, for instance, it would be a good to get a larger concentration of EOs into the system quickly to break up the mucus/phlegm and fight infection.

Would the actual herb/flower be just as effective if brewed into a tea?

OFW: Essential oils are the therapeutic properties or "life essence" of a plant. When herbs are dried 30-90% of the essential oils evaporate. So when EOs are distilled, it makes them very concentrated. An acre of lavender can be distilled into one bottle of essential oil. One drop of peppermint EO is equal in strength to 28 cups of peppermint herbal tea! While herbal teas are certainly still useful, essential oils offer a broader spectrum of therapeutic properties that work in synergy to affect body, mind, and spirit.

The ability of essential oils to act on both the mind and the body makes them truly unique among therapeutic agents. The fragrance of some essential oils can be very stimulating- both psychologically and physically while the fragrance of other essential oils may be calming and sedating, helping to overcome anxiety or hyperactivity. On a physiological level, EOs may stimulate immune function and regenerate damaged tissue. Essential oils may also combat infectious disease by killing viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. All of these things can occur simultaneously, which makes the use of clinical aromatherapy so exciting and fascinating!

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter to learn more about how essential oils can benefit your health everyday!

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,

Jen

Quote of the Week

2010-02-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

We can do no great things;

only small things with great love.

~Mother Teresa

Frankincense Used to Treat Bladder Cancer

2010-02-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

From News.com.au, March 2009

FRANKINCENSE, an aromatic tree oil and in Christian tradition one of the three wise men's gifts to the baby Jesus, may be a helpful treatment for bladder cancer, according to a study published today.

US scientists tested an enriched extract of the frankincense herb boswellia carteri on both human bladder cancer cells and normal bladder cells in laboratory experiments.

The oil suppressed cancer growth and activated mechanisms which kill the dangerous cells, they said.

"Frankincense oil can discriminate bladder cancer cells and normal urothelial cells in culture. The oil suppresses cell survival and induces apoptosis in cultured bladder cancer cells," said the study.

Lead researcher Doctor Hsueh-Kung Lin of the University of Oklahoma said: "Frankincense oil may represent an inexpensive alternative therapy for patients currently suffering from bladder cancer."

The study noted that the oil originated from Africa, India and the Middle East and has been "important both socially and economically as an ingredient in incense and perfumes for thousands of years".

According to the Bible, it was presented to the infant Jesus by the three wise men, along with gold and myrrh.

The study was published in the online British Medical Council journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Mcklinky Blog Hop: About 20 Years Ago

2010-02-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Blog Hop theme for this Monday is "ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO". Tell us about your life 20 years ago. What were you doing? Where were you? What direction were you heading? How is your life different now that what you THOUGHT it would be?

Well, I wasn't the OilGirl in 1990! I dreamed of marrying a cowboy or becoming a horse trainer and riding instructor. Even though I was interested in natural remedies, I didn't know anything about aromatherapy and essential oils. Being 17 years old, I felt like I was waiting for my life to begin. My family life was crumbling and I had no real friends to speak of. I had a healthy imagination and fantasized about what kind of life I would like to have. A writer? Singer? I had hope of better days anyway, in spite of enduring a pretty grim era in my life.

That year I lived in North Dakota with some friends for 6 months, met a German exchange student who is still a dear penpal to this day, and fell in and out of infatuation with a hunky Marine who didn't know I existed. I have to smile now at the waste of emotions that are spent at the age of 17!

February is National Cancer Prevention Month

2010-01-31T20:48:00.000-08:00

Aromatherapy Essential Oils: Groundbreaking Cancer Research

by Michelle Allen

"While acceptance by the mainstream of conventional medicine may be a ways off, essential oils used in aromatherapy are proving themselves to be potential potent allies in the treatment of cancer. The alternative medicine called ‘aromatherapy’ might actually suffer from a misunderstanding of its name — aromatherapy, often confused with the use of a Glad Plug In Air Freshener, is actually an entire branch of medicine with specific treatment protocols for a wide variety of illnesses. This practice is slowly gaining credibility with patients (perhaps more slowly with doctors) partaking in the conventional medical system of the United States. Their healing power, like that of most natural therapies, can not only transform difficult disease states, but can have a long-term positive effect on one’s overall wellness. They are readily available, inexpensive, and just happen to smell nice — but there’s a whole lot more to them than that…

Research into the area of medicinal applications of essential oils has been significant in recent years. Many oils have been proven to have significant antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal action. Now, the body of evidence of essential oils being strongly anti-tumorial, with specific anti-cancer action is growing, too. A search of Pub Med, the National Institute of Health’s online research database produces 391 results for the search ‘essential oils cancer’ and 444 results for ‘essential oil tumor’. MANY of the studies show a direct correlation in tumor and cancer cell line eradication with the use of essential oils. A great many have conclusions that indicate the studies results warrant further investigation of essential oils for the development of accepted therapies.

Here’s a review of some very promising results:

Frankincense has had a place in medicine for as long as medical practices have been documented. The resin from these stout trees of Africa and the Middle East is highly revered for its curative and preventative action (with many spiritual uses as well). In 2009, the journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine published a studied that outright said Frankincense essential oil kills cancer cells while sparing normal, healthy cells. The oil distilled from the tree’s resin acted specifically on bladder cancer cells, with the study concluding that Frankincense might represent and alternative agent for treatment. Odd that the mainstream media has not made much of this finding — it took a subscription to these abstracts for many interested parties to be notified — otherwise it easily could have gone unnoticed!

Frankincense essential oil is well known to be non-toxic, with many people able to put the oil directly on their skin, and even ingest the oil in small quantities*(Jen's note: Oil MUST be therapeutic grade and labeled as a dietary supplement to ingest) without any negative response. Though it can induce cell death with incredible specificity, a feature that absolutely suggests further investigation should be performed — hopefully the medical establishment will agree.

The oil distilled from the leaves of Lemongrass, an herb with a long medicinal history itself, also shows similar action. In an evaluation of the essential oil from the Lemongrass species Cymbopogon flexuosus, the oil was found cytotoxic to a number of cancer cell types, and was active particularly in affecting that ‘hallmark of cancer cells’, the ‘dysregulation of apoptosis’ — the natural process of cell death. One study concluded “The easy and abundant availability of the oil combined with its suggested mechanism of cytotoxicity make CFO (Lemongrass Oil) highly useful in the development of anti-cancer therapeutics”. Inexpensive, easy to make, and effective: virtues of all of Nature’s finest medicines!

Another groundbreaking study revealed the potential efficacy of a component of many essential oils. The study suggests the potential for one very common constituent can destroy liver cancer cells at very low concentrations — it may be possible then that an essential oil with similar properties found in one’s own region of the planet can have these same effects, offering the same healing or protective action without needing ‘exotic’ medicines to do so. The chemical ‘linaolool’ lends itself to the sweetness of many aromatics. The higher the linalool concentration in Lavender oil, for example, the sweeter it will be. So this constituent of so many essential oils completely eradicated a liver cancer cell line in a very, very low dilution. The constituent decreased the activity of metabolic pathways producing ATP in the cell, essentially killing the cancer cells by cutting of their energy production. While the study did not conclude anything about further investigation (or not), it was profoundly interesting for those regularly using essential oils in their lives. These folks will naturally absorb the amounts of linalool used in the study in their daily inhalation or topical application of oils, perhaps invoking a protective effect for themselves and their families…this would certainly be an interesting piece of research!

While the studies above show essential oils potential efficacy at treating cancers of internal organs, a number of studies show oils can both eradicate skin cancers and act as protectants from cancer-causing agents.

Sandalwood has a very long history in Ayurvedic medicine, the paste from the wood being used in a great many treatments. The oil distilled from the heartwood of the Sandal tree has been the subject of many studies demonstrating its protective action — the oil has a significant effect in the prevention of tumors when skin is exposed to tumor-inducing chemicals and even UV radiation. Tea Tree oil, a well known antiseptic, exhibited anticancer action by impairing the growth of human m14 melanoma cells — and even showed great effect on those melanoma cells which are resistant to other treatments. Many essential oils have significant antioxidant activity, and may be excellent additions to pre-sun skin lotions to lessen radiation absorption and oxidative radical formation.

Components of Thyme and Oregano essential oils have been shown to actually protect human DNA strands from breaking when exposed to extreme oxidative stress. DNA damage is a leading cause of cancer development, as this can lead to an abnormal cell life cycle, essentially turning off the process of natural cell death. Carvacrol and Thymol were singled out in a study by Slovakian researchers in 2007, though they also note that other components of these oils may have chemoprotective effects as well. Other spice essential oils that have demonstrated cancer preventative effects include Ginger, Tumeric, Basil, Garlic and Sage.

Beyond the direct effects on tumor cells, essential oils have been shown to positively effect the immune system on a chemical level. They can enhance the activity of white blood cells, making them more efficient and removing foreign material and microbes from the body. This would likely result in more effective cancer outcomes. Futher, there’s the psychological component of any disease, and many essential oils have demonstrated anti-stress activity in scientific investigations.

So, like many plant medicines, essential oils work on a number of levels for many diseases, with cancer being one of them. While its important to recognize that essential oil use is in-fact contra-indicated during chemotherapy (as they may reduce the cytotoxic effects of the treatment), they can certainly be an integral part of any cancer preventative protocol. For any application where an individual has already been diagnosed with the illness, it is important to check with their physician to ensure essential oils and aroma-medicine is an appropriate choice.

The overall picture is very bright for the use of essential oils in cancer treatment, and further investigation is certainly warranted by the scientific and medical communities for the development of effective medical protocols for this profoundly life-altering condition. "

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter to learn more about the amazing healing benefits of therapeutic grade essential oils!

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,
Jen

Quote of the Week

2010-01-24T20:17:00.000-08:00

"You cannot love a fellow-creature fully till you love God".
~C. S. Lewis

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Diminish Wrinkles

2010-01-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that lavender is one of the most versatile essential oils. Not only does it have a beautiful aroma, but it also helps your body adapt to stress or imbalance. But did you know you can also use lavender to help beautify your skin? Try this easy skin regimen and see what changes lavender can make for you!

Before putting on any moisturizer in the morning, put a couple of drops of lavender essential oil on your fingertips and apply directly to your face in outward circling motions. Make sure to avoid the area around your eyes. Repeat daily for at least two weeks.

Here is what one Young Living lavender user had to say about following this regimen herself:

“I have been using lavender full-strength on my face for the past two and a half weeks and have seen a marvelous change in my skin. I only do it once a day, usually in the morning. I apply the oil before I use any moisturizer. My pores are getting tighter and my wrinkles are diminishing. I can't wait to see what changes occur in a month or in a year! I love my YL essential oils now more than ever.” —Mary Jane Cushing

Treating Your Skin From the Inside Out!

2010-01-19T18:08:00.000-08:00

Young Living has a great selection of natural skincare products that will help invigorate your complexion. Products like our ART® Skin Care System and Satin Facial Scrub™ Mint are free from harmful chemicals and reap health benefits that go way beyond just skin deep.

To complement your skincare regimen, make sure you are giving your skin the nutrients it needs. Try including these foods as part of your healthy diet:

Almonds

Almonds are stuffed with vitamin E, a potent sun blocker. Vitamin E acts an antioxidant that helps protect skin from UV light and other environmental factors that generate cell-damaging free radicals. Consuming about 20 almonds a day will boost your skin’s natural defenses.
Possible substitution: Two tablespoons peanut butter or a half cup of broccoli.
Carrots

Carrots are packed with vitamin A, which is good for clearing up breakouts. It helps reduce the overproduction of cells in the skin’s outer layer were dead cells and sebum can clog pores. Add nibbling on half cup of carrots a day to your snack routine and reap these benefits!
Possible substitution: One cup milk or one slice of cheddar cheese.

Dark Chocolate

As if we needed another reason to eat chocolate! Flavonols, the antioxidants in dark chocolate, can reduce roughness in the skin and protect against sun damage. It only takes a few ounces a day to get this antioxidant in your system—what a sweet benefit!
Possible substitution: Blackberries, cherries, blueberries, or raspberries (although you would have to eat a large amount).

Flaxseeds
These seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, known to diminish age spots and erase fine lines. Consuming just over two grams (just a teaspoon) will help prevent irritation and redness in the skin as well as contribute to better hydration. Try just sprinkling a teaspoon over oatmeal or veggies to get your daily dose.
Possible substitution: Flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon with sautéed veggies), salmon (4 ounces), or walnuts (1 ounce or about 14 halves).

Green Tea

When green tea is hot, it releases catechins, a type of antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. These antioxidant powers fade as it cools, so drink it while it’s hot. Only two cups a day will help cells’ resilience to sun damage, and may even help reduce sun damage.
Possible substitute: White tea.

—Rebecca Jarvis
Product Manager, Essential Living

Quote of the Week

2010-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

"Alternative medicine is not a last option—now it is a first option."
~Ben and Carol Howden, Young Living Silver Distributors

Help Young Living Help Haiti

2010-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Help Us Help Haiti!

Tuesday, January 12, the worst earthquake in 200 years struck the island nation of Haiti, leaving utter decimation in its wake. While we still don’t know the full extent of the damage, we can be confident that an already fierce, daily struggle to survive has taken a disastrous turn for many Haitians.

Thousands are feared dead, and without adequate water, food, shelter, and medical care the survivors won’t last long. There is an immediate need for worldwide support of the Haitian people.

In order to provide much needed funds, Young Living has partnered with The D. Gary Young Foundation: Young Living Outreach, and from now until January 31, 2010, 10% of all proceeds from the sale of lavender and Peace & Calming® essential oils will go directly to relief organizations working in Haiti.

We have the opportunity to help make a difference. Haiti’s infrastructure is completely demolished. The people of Haiti have no clean water to drink, no electricity, and all hospitals and aid centers have been severely damaged or destroyed entirely.

If you or anyone you know uses these oils, help us give more by increasing your order this month, and pass this message on to anyone who would be interested.

You can also make a monetary donation through The D. Gary Young Foundation: Young Living Outreach.

The need is immediate. Please help.

Lavender
Item No.: 3575

Retail customer Price: $27.30
Wholesale Price: $20.75

Peace & Calming
Item No.: 3393

Retail Customer Price: $43.09
Wholesale Price: $32.75

Please order these products through my secure Oils For Wellness website and the proceeds will automatically be donated to Haiti emergency efforts.

Thanks so much, Jen

Thyme Oil Can Suppress Inflammation

2010-01-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Jan. 13, 2010) — For those who do not drink, researchers have found that six essential oils -from thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot -- can suppress the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme, in a manner similar to resveratrol, the chemical linked with the health benefits of red wine. They also identified that the chemical carvacrol was primarily responsible for this suppressive activity.
These findings, appearing in the January issue of Journal of Lipid Research, provide more understanding of the health benefits of many botanical oils and provide a new avenue for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Essential oils from plants have long been a component of home remedies, and even today are used for their aromatherapy, analgesic (e.g. cough drops), or antibacterial properties. Of course, the exact way they work is not completely understood. However, Hiroyasu Inoue and colleagues in Japan believed that many essential oils might target COX-2 much like compounds in wine and tea.

So, they screened a wide range of commercially available oils and identified six (thyme, clove, rose, eucalyptus, fennel and bergamot) that reduced COX-2 expression in cells by at least 25%. Of these, thyme oil proved the most active, reducing COX-2 levels by almost 75%.
When Inoue and colleagues analyzed thyme oil, they found that the major component -carvacrol- was the primary active agent; in fact when they use pure carvacrol extracts in their tests COX-2 levels decreased by over 80%.

Story Source:
Adapted from materials provided by American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Journal Reference:
Mariko Hotta, Rieko Nakata, Michiko Katsukawa, Kazuyuki Hori, Saori Takahashi, and Hiroyasu Inoue. Carvacrol, a component of thyme oil, activates PPAR-gamma and suppresses COX-2 expression. Journal of Lipid Research, January, 2010

*Jen's Note: This very exciting scientific research is yet another source which validates the therapeutic use of Thyme essential oil! Thyme is one of the many oils used in the Raindrop Technique massage which I will be posting more about in the near future.

Subscribe to my free e-newsletter to learn more about the healing benefits of therapeutic essential oils.

Mcklinky Blog Hop: 2010 Blessings

2010-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

O LORD my God, I called to you for help

and you healed me.

Psalm 30:2

He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5

Quote of the Week

2010-01-11T07:19:00.000-08:00

The best six doctors anywhere
And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling.
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

AromaTalk Tip of the Week: Muscle Cramps

2010-01-07T08:41:00.000-08:00

" After moving a heavy bureau, I had muscle cramps along the left side of my body. The cramps were so severe, I almost went for a series of trigger point injections. Instead, I had a friend apply a drop each of Young Living's Aroma Siez essential oil blend and Young Living's helichrysum essential oil on the most tender point of the muscle and press hard, wiggling the finger just a little. In each trigger point, this process released the spasm. I repeated this procedure on a friend who had an uncomfortable charley horse on his leg for years, and nothing had ever worked before." ~Sharon Thom

*Jen's note: Muscle cramping can also be occuring due to magnesium deficiency, so be sure to check dietary supplements to be sure you are getting at least 500 mg of this important mineral each day.

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Announcing Oil Changes For 2010

2010-01-03T14:41:00.000-08:00

I am excited about some ideas and visions that I plan to explore on my blog in the fresh new year! Tell me what you think.

Advertising: I am now accepting very selective PAID text links or 125 x 125 button ads for my sidebar as well as Sponsor text links to appear at the bottom of every post. I will never do Google ads or clutter up my page, so don't worry!Also I will TRADE links/buttons to appear on your blog if you like.

Reviews/Giveaways: I have decided to only offer giveaways in conjuction with a review or special event happening on another blog. One reason: increased exposure to information about my giveaway item and website link. I will always spotlight the review/giveaway in a post, so all my readers and followers can enter to win. If you have a blog with 200+ followers/readers and would be interested in reviewing Young Living Essential Oils products, please contact me. Reviews and giveaways would also be on a very selective basis.

Product Purchasing: Young Living essential oils and products, aromatherapy supplies, and educational materials will now be available for purchase directly from Oils For Wellness by using PayPal! Being that I am not a website wizard, it may take me awhile to develop a more efficient system for placing orders, but for now just drop me a note in the Ask The Aromatherapist box letting me know which items you want. I'll total up tax plus shipping and tally the total for you to send funds by Paypal. US shipping only, $20 minimum purchase required.

Guest Bloggers: Looking for helpful tips, articles or personal health experience stories on natural medicine topics without product promotions. Liver cleansing, weight loss, healthy cooking, etc.

If you have any suggestions or ideas that you would like to share, I value your comments!

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,

Jen

Just For The Fat Of It!!

2010-01-02T08:47:00.000-08:00

Happy and Healthy 2010

2010-01-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

May your new year be abundantly blessed with peace, joy, and wellness!!

With Gratitude,

Jen

NEW Essential Oil from the Amazon: Copaiba

2009-12-29T08:30:00.000-08:00

2010 will be a decade milestone for me as a Young Living independent distributor. Ten years! I am more excited and passionate about Young Living and aromatherapy than when I began my journey. The more I learn about essential oils it seems the horizons open and there is yet more undiscovered territory to explore. When I was a kid, I told my parents that I wanted to be either a heart surgeon, an astronaut, or an archaeologist. My Young Living business has helped me tap into the core characteristics of those careers--the desire to help others heal, being part of a great adventure, and uncovering ancient secrets from the past. No amount of money could replace this smell of success in my life! The Young Living Essential Oils company has farms in operation around the world including Utah, Idaho, France, and now Ecuador. Gary Young and his family live and work on Finca Botanica Aromatica in Ecuador, their most recent addition to the Young Living Farms. It was no small feat to carve this farm out the rough rain forest terrain and create a lake reservoir, build a home, distillery, and irrigation system for the fields. Even a charming tropical tree house was designed for guests to enjoy!
Following his vision to distill and research new essential oils, Gary Young began learning about plants from the rain forest which were traditionally used as medicine by the native people of Ecuador. One of these exciting discoveries is Copaiba which I am spotlighting below.

Copaiba essential oil is extracted from the oleoresin of several different species of Copaifera, including multijuga, langsdorffii, and reticulata. Traditionally used in Native American recipes, today copaiba is featured in European and North American pharmacopeias.

This powerful essential oil is recognized for aiding digestion and supporting the body’s natural response to injury or irritation.

Copaiba is the only essential oil extracted through tapping, similar to how rubber and maple are obtained. Once tapped, the copaiba resin is distilled to produce a clear essential oil that has a rich, uplifting, woody smell. Only copaiba essential oil found near the Amazon rain forest basin contains the optimal natural compounds needed for a Young Living Therapeutic Grade essential oil.

Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer testing shows copaiba contains high levels of beta caryophyllene, gamma elemene, and alpha humalene, which aids the natural processes of redness and irritation of body tissue.

Primary Benefits
+ Aids in comforting common digestion
discomforts when taken internally.
+ Helps the body regulate its natural immune
responses.

How To Use
Internally: 1–3 drops up to three times daily as
needed.
Topical: 1–2 drops on desired area.

Did You Know?
+ Virtually all companies who offer copaiba or
copal sell only the tree resin, not the distilled
essential oil.

+ Copaiba resin (what is tapped from the
copaiba tree) has been used for hundreds
of years as an incense in some Central and
South American cultures. Copaiba oleoresin
and essential oil was first recorded in
European medicine journals in 1625.

+ Copaiba essential oil contains the highest
amounts of beta caryophyllene (55 percent)
of any known essential oil.

Caution
If you are nursing, pregnant, taking medication,
or have a medical condition, consult a
physician before using.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Is copaiba found in any Young Living blends?
A Copaiba is a key ingredient in the Deep Relief™
and Breath Again™ Essential Oil Roll-Ons.

Q How did Young Living decide on the copaiba
from the savanna portion of the Amazon rain
forest?
A Young Living sourcing specialists have
traveled the world sampling different copaiba
essential oil samples. Each batch was put
through state-of-the-art Gas Chromatograph
and Mass Spectrometer tests. Gary Young
selected species of Copaifera from South
America to maximize levels of beta
caryophyllene, the key active ingredient in
the essential oil.

Young Living Essential Oils are available at wholesale, preferred customer, and customer prices on my website or contact me via the Ask The Aromatherapist message box on my sidebar for more information.

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,
Jen

What is This Lovely Fragrance?

2009-12-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

What Is This Lovely Fragrance Stealing?
[French traditional]

What is this lovely Fragrance stealing,

Shepherds, that fills the winter air?

Never was sweetness so appealing

Never were flowers of spring so fair

What is this lovely Fragrance stealing,

Shepherds, that fills the winter air?
What is this Light so fair, so tender

Breaking upon our wond'ring eyes

Never the Morning Star so radiant

Followed his course o'er eastern skies

What is this Light so fair, so tender

Breaking upon our wond'ring eyes
What is this Wonder all around us

Filling the air with Music light?

Shepherds! Some magic here hath found us!

Never mine ears knew such delight!

What is this Wonder all around us

Filling the air with Music light!
What is this lovely Fragrance stealing?

Shepherds! It sets my heart astir!

Never was sweetness so appealing

Never were flowers of spring so fair

What is this lovely Fragrance stealing?

Shepherds! it sets my heart astir!
A very fragrant Christmas to you and yours!

Winter Treatments For Your Tresses

2009-12-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

Tis’ the season for holiday styles and updos—and for winter weather to wreak havoc on your hair. Did you know that the cold, dry weather can cause hair to be brittle and unhealthy? On top of that, indoor heating can dry it out even further, causing extra frizz and making it even harder to style. So to help combat bad hair days during the holidays, here a few essential oil-infused recipes to help you protect and repair weather-worn hair:

Hot Oil Treatment for Damaged Hair
Ingredients:
1/2 c. organic soybean oil or organic sunflower oil
8 drops Young Living sandalwood essential oil
8 drops Young Living lavender essential oil
8 drops Young Living geranium essential oil

Directions:
Mix all ingredients well. Warm oil to a comfortable temperature and apply the mixture to damp hair. Cover hair in a plastic wrap and apply a hot towel for 20 minutes. Shampoo.

Lavender & Rosemary Hot Oil Treatment
Ingredients:
1/2 c. organic soybean oil or organic sunflower oil
5 drops Young Living rosemary essential oil
10 drops Young Living lavender essential oil

Directions:
Mix all ingredients well. Warm oil to a comfortable temperature and apply the mixture to damp hair. Cover hair in a plastic wrap and apply a hot towel for 20 minutes. Shampoo.

Super Deep Hot Oil Treatment
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 Tbsp. almond oil
1 Tbsp. jojoba oil
1 tsp. evening primrose oil
5 drops Young Living rosemary essential oil
5 drops Young Living Roman chamomile essential oil

Directions:
Melt coconut oil in a double broiler on low temperature. Add other carrier oils and allow to cool. Add essential oils. Apply to hair and wrap in a towel for 30–45 minutes. Shampoo.
By treating your locks to these hot oil treatments, your tresses will not only survive winter, but will also be beautiful and healthy come springtime.

And if you’re looking for additional cold weather hair protection, try implementing the following tips into your daily hair care routine:

Wash your hair with lukewarm water. Hot water can strip your hair of moisture, and during the winter you need all the moisture you can get!

Use a quality conditioner. If you have dry hair to begin with you may want to look for a hair conditioner that is made for dry hair, such as Young Living’s Rosewood Moisturizing Conditioner.
Use styling tools designed to lock in moisture. Using hair tools such as ionic hairdryers and ceramic-plated straighteners will style your hair without drying it.

Don’t go outside with wet hair. If you expose wet hair to cold winter weather, you risk the possibility of your hair freezing, which leaves it prone to breaking and getting severely damaged.
Use a deep conditioner or hot oil treatment at least once a week. Your hair needs this extra attention to help repair and undo winter damage. Check out the end of this post for some essential oil-enhanced recipes for home hair treatments!

Wear a hat or wear your hair up as much as possible. Choose a hat that will not flatten your hair completely, but one that will just cover up most of your hair. Fortunately, there are lots of cute style choices that can make this attractive as well as functional. Wearing your hair back and up will also help reduce exposure to the cold. Just remember: This doesn’t have to be the typical ponytail. Experiment with cute updos or sleek chignons to help protect your hair.

Rub a fragrance-free dryer sheet on your hair brushes and combs to minimize static electricity. This might sound silly, but it works! Because most people have their heat on and their house closed up, static cling is a huge problem in winter. This simple little trick will save you that highly undesirable frizz frenzy.
—Rebecca Jarvis
Product Manager, Essential Living

Frankincense: A Gift For A King

2009-12-21T07:23:00.000-08:00

"And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh." Matthew 2:11

In ancient times frankincense was often equal to or surpassed the value of gold and traded as a commodity. Not only was it one of the most precious gifts the Magi could give the Christ child, it also reflected their belief that He was a newborn King. Frankincense was used to anoint the newborn sons of kings and priests and an aromatic symbol of holiness and royalty.

Frankincense essential oil is distilled from the oleo-gum-resin from the trunks of the tree. It is no easy task to harvest this gum resin! Some of the world's most venomous vipers live in these trees and the harvest needs to be carted off by pack animals across the desert to the market and distilleries. This is why pure frankincense essential oil is so costly. If you are getting a bottle of Frankincense for $4.99 , I would seriously question the purity and source of that oil! You couldn't FedEx a piece of raw resin from the Middle East for that price!

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri) has a sweet, warm balsamic aroma that is stimulating and elevating to the mind. It has comforting properties that help focus and center the mind while helping overcome stress and despair.

Considered the "Holy Anointing Oil" in the Middle East, frankincense has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years. It was also used by the ancient Chinese as a treatment for a range of ailments and today is still enjoyed worldwide for both ceremonial and medicinal use. It can be used topically, diffused, and Young Living's Frankincense Essential Oil is pure enough for a dietary supplement.

Frankincense can ease many minor aches and pains, expel congestion from the lungs, as well as calm and soothe the whole body and mind. It contains therapeutic molecules called sesquiterpines which stimulate the limbic system of the brain-the center of memory and emotions-and the hypothalamus, pineal, and pituitary glands. Other molecules called monoterpenes have been found to reprogram cellular memory and maintain normal cellular regeneration which is particularly useful for inhibiting the growth of certain cancerous tumors. A very promising discovery for breast health! Other uses include:

Headaches

Depression

Allergies

Bronchitis

Tonsillitis

Herpes

Typhoid

Warts

Brain damage from massive head injuries

Immune builder, stimulates production of white corpuscles

Frankincense is one of my personal favorite oils and truly is the perfect gift for the Christmas season. This essential oil- "God's love manifest in molecules"- is a reminder of Jesus, The Anointed One, who heals us in every way a person can be healed.

Yours in wellness, purpose, and abundance,

Jen